Indicators show a downward trend in delinquency rates among Panamanians with credit institutions.

The tendency to pay economic commitments favors an environment of sustainable financial inclusion. (Illustrative Image Infobae) As a rule, Panamanians are punctual in honoring their financial commitments, so the payment behavior from January to April of this year continues to show positive signs. This is reflected in the statistics at the close of April 2026, where the total credit portfolio for individuals reached $41,755 million, with more than 2.4 million people having at least one active reference in the credit reference system. For its part, the balance reflects a slight growth of 2.3% compared to the previous year and is accompanied by more controlled risk indicators. According to the credit bureau APC Experian, during the last year this consolidates a trend toward improvement, so that delinquency in various financial products reflects greater stability of the system and a favorable evolution in the population's payment habits. It is detailed that one of the main drivers of the system, banking, recorded in April a delinquency greater than 61 days of 4.1%, showing a significant improvement compared to the 5.2% recorded in April 2025. It is stated that confidence in the Panamanian financial system evidences a combination of credit growth and risk control. (Illustrative Image Infobae) This decrease, the information specifies, reflects a better willingness to pay on the part of consumers, in an environment of greater access to credit. Referring to key products, focusing on the banking sector, with reference to balances (not considering accounts against reserves), it is explained that mortgages maintain controlled delinquency levels of 4.1%, improving compared to 4.9% from the previous year, while credit cards present a delinquency of 8.5%, lower than the 9.4% of 2025, evidencing a more responsible use of revolving credit. Regarding personal loans, statistics indicate that these stand out with a significant reduction in delinquency, moving from 4.8% to 2.9% recorded as of April 2026. However, it clarifies that this figure could be influenced by written-off accounts. At a general level, including all sectors, APC Experian states that the system shows an average delinquency of 5.8%, compared to 7% from the previous year. Banking and cooperatives maintain moderate levels of delinquency, estimated at 4.1% and 7.3%, respectively, while other segments such as finance companies and telecommunications services present higher levels of risk. Comparative analysis reflects that the credit balance has grown steadily since 2021, but delinquency has not. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration The statistical information adds that additionally, the number of active obligations continues to grow, exceeding $5.2 million, which evidences greater credit dynamism in the Panamanian economy, without a proportional deterioration in portfolio quality. "The observed behavior confirms that the slight growth of credit in Panama is happening in a responsible manner. We see consumers increasingly aware of their financial commitments and entities with better risk assessment tools," it was indicated. The comparative analysis shows that although the credit balance has grown steadily since 2021, delinquency has not followed the same trend. On the contrary, the APC Experian report indicates that in several segments it has stabilized or reduced, confirming once again that Panamanians are responsible in fulfilling their bill payments. The results, it argues, reinforce confidence in the Panamanian financial system, evidencing a positive combination of credit growth, risk control, and consumer behavior.