Panama indigenous minors face triple the national school dropout rate

A study released by Panama’s Defensoría del Pueblo, supported by UNICEF, reveals that 15% of indigenous minors in Panama are outside the education system. This figure is triple the national average.

The report highlights how intersectional vulnerabilities—such as poverty, disability, and indigenous identity—exacerbate educational exclusion. Of the approximately 315,089 indigenous children and adolescents in the country, 58% live outside traditional indigenous territories, often in urban areas.

School dropout rates are particularly high among indigenous adolescent mothers, reaching 70%. Additionally, 42% of indigenous students are in “sobreedad” (overage), meaning they are in grade levels below what is expected for their age, compared to 20% among non-indigenous or Afro-descendant populations.