New Building Permits Surge 93.9% in Q1 2026, INEC Reports
August 13, 2026 · MAKOM CAPITAL GROUP
According to Panama's National Statistics Institute (INEC), new buildings rose from 1,240 in Q1 2025 to 2,404 in Q1 2026 — a 93.9% increase. Total construction area also grew 13.6%, from 155,367 m² to 176,463 m².
Where the growth was concentrated
- La Chorrera: from 182 to 1,234 buildings (more than half the national total); single-family housing +234.5%
- Arraiján: from 135 to 329 buildings; single-family housing +92.4%
- Panama City (district): from 850 to 783 buildings (slight dip), but apartments +6.8% and hospitals/clinics +244%
- Colón: held steady at 3,699 m²
- San Miguelito: from 32 to 19 buildings
Why it matters
The surge in single-family housing in La Chorrera and Arraiján — areas traditionally more accessible to first-time homebuyers — suggests demand is shifting toward the broader metro area, likely in response to higher prices in Panama City proper.
For investors, the figures also serve as a confidence gauge: growth of this scale in building permits signals that the sector still views Panama — and these expansion corridors in particular — as an attractive place to develop.
*Source: [La Estrella de Panamá](https://www.laestrella.com.pa/economia/nuevas-edificaciones-aumentan-939-en-el-primer-trimestre-de-2026-CL24856756), citing INEC data*