Water is more expensive than the fuel in Panama

The phenomenon of El Niño not only threatens to reduce water sources in Panama, but would also have an economic impact on the pockets of consumers.

And is that today, in Panama the cost of a liter of water even exceeds the price of fuel, which recently warned that the vice president of Environment, Water and Energy Canal Authority (ACP), Carlos Vargas, referring to drought facing the country.

This considering that the average cost of a liter of water in the market is between $0.95 and $2.89, while a liter of gasoline due to the fall in international oil prices, does not exceed $0.62.

Thus, the maximum selling price to the consumer of a liter of 95 octane gasoline is $0.62, and 91 octane, $0.58, while diesel is sold at $ 0.46.

However, on a tour of the local market, hereby found that a liter of bottled water has an average cost of $ 0.95, $ 1.19, $ 1.95 and up to $ 2.89, while 500 ml (1/2 pint) can even reach cost $ 1.25 and $ 1.59.

This suggests that a possible water shortages to drought that could stretch until mid-May or June, according to experts from the ACP would represent a blow to the economy of Panamanian households.

And according to the ACP, in Panama about 365 liters per person are consumed daily, representing between $346.75 and $1,054.85 daily per person, if you were to acquire the vital liquid in the local market.

However, there is another basic consumer products such as milk, the cost also exceeds the price of fuel.

The price of 946 milliliters of pasteurized milk is between $ 1.20 and $ 1.40.

To the economist Maribel Gordon, this does not respond to the lack of government policies aimed at solving the problem, but to the degradation of water sources promoting privatization and consumption of bottled water.

He argues that Panama has developed a parallel market, it should be providing through state institutions, which favors importers.

Panama imports about 41 million bottles of water, and are on the market some 41 brands, he said.

Pedro Acosta, secretary general of the National Union of Consumers and Users of the Republic of Panama (Uncurepa) in Panama has led the consumption of bottled water, taking advantage of particular situations with the service and supply of drinking water.

Acosta agrees with Gordon that water shortage that threatens the population is the result of a lack of state policy on this issue.


In Panama double the drinking water consumed per capita relative to Latin American countries.

Figures from the General Comptroller show that in 2015 , in Panama 94,728,203,000 gallons of water were consumed.

Of total consumption in 2015, 73.7 % corresponds to the residential sector, 15.7 % to commercial, 9.1 % to 1.6 % Government and the industrial sector.