With the New Year  comes continued growth and prosperity here  in Panama.  It is expected that the growth rate of the GDP for 2012 will be around 7.5%.  We are expanding the Panama Canal, enjoying significant direct foreign investment and have an exploding middle class that wants new and better housing, goods and services.  It is becoming a self sustaining sector that is also growing throughout Latin America.  As a look back to see what happened in the last ten years, here is the GDP growth rates of our economy. (source Don Winner at the Panama Guide)

• 2001 – 0.57%
• 2002 – 2.23%
• 2003 – 4.21%
• 2004 – 7.52%
• 2005 – 7.19%
• 2006 – 8.53%
• 2007 – 12.11%
• 2008 – 10.12%
• 2009 – 3.2% (global recession, Panama grew anyway)
• 2010 – 7.45%
• 2011 – 9.6%
• 2012 – 7.5% (projected)