Country profile · Rank 102 of 108 · Emerging Upside
Panama compute capacity
Panama runs about 60 MW of live datacenter capacity as of 7 September 2026, a Gross Domestic Compute of $3.0B (an estimate). Its identified energy resource could host about 5.0 GW of AI compute, a ceiling worth $300B to $400B at today's price of a gigawatt, about 4 times its $90B GDP. The bankable slice today, discounted mainly for governance and physical conditions, is $21B, or $4,525 per person. Panama is emerging upside, ranked 102 of 108 countries by unlockable value.
Key numbers
| Live datacenter capacity | 60 MW | IT capacity, mid-2026. Estimate: below the top 35 markets. |
|---|---|---|
| Live compute (GDC) | $3.0B | Live GW × $50B, the central price of an AI factory. |
| Resource ceiling | 5.0 GW | Identified hydro, geothermal, solar, wind and surplus fossil resource. |
| Ceiling value | $300B to $400B | Ceiling GW × $60 to 80B per GW, NVIDIA's all-in figure. |
| Ceiling as a multiple of GDP | 4× | High end over nominal GDP of $90B (IMF). |
| Unlockable value | $21B | Firm untapped GW × $50B × readiness. The bankable slice. |
| Unlockable per person | $4,525 | IMF population, 2026. |
| Built | 35.9% | Hydro and geothermal already installed, over the ceiling. |
| Readiness | 61% | Eight-part discount. Binding: governance and physical conditions. |
| Conversion score | 24 | 0 to 100. Unchanged since 19 Aug. |
| Tier | Emerging Upside | In between: a narrower gap, and a real one. |
| Rank | 102 of 108 | By unlockable value. 18 of 18 in Americas. |
Three numbers, one scale
Ceiling is what the endowment could host; unlockable is the slice underwriters would sign today; live compute is what runs. Drawn on one linear scale on purpose: the gap is the point.
Projects on the ground
No sovereign AI factory for Panama is on the register yet. Announcements, contracts and stalls are tracked as reported; send one to the desk.
Americas: how Panama compares
| # | Country | Unlockable | Live compute | Readiness | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  United States | $6.4T | $2.0T | 83% | Incumbent |
| 3 |  Canada | $4.5T | $70B | 95% | Primed |
| 4 |  Brazil | $3.8T | $45B | 74% | Primed |
| 7 |  Argentina | $1.9T | $3.5B | 61% | Sleeping Giant |
| 11 |  Mexico | $1.4T | $20B | 64% | Emerging Upside |
| 13 |  Peru | $1.1T | $2.5B | 54% | Sleeping Giant |
| 19 |  Chile | $711B | $15B | 77% | Primed |
| 23 |  Bolivia | $636B | under $1B | 47% | Sleeping Giant |
| 24 |  Colombia | $618B | $7.5B | 63% | Sleeping Giant |
| 40 |  Ecuador | $363B | $1.0B | 45% | Sleeping Giant |
| 57 |  Guyana | $261B | under $1B | 45% | Sleeping Giant |
| 60 |  Venezuela | $238B | $1.0B | 23% | Sleeping Giant |
| 63 |  Uruguay | $214B | $2.5B | 77% | Primed |
| 72 |  Paraguay | $183B | under $1B | 54% | Sleeping Giant |
| 82 |  Costa Rica | $148B | $2.5B | 70% | Primed |
| 94 |  Guatemala | $60B | $1.0B | 52% | Emerging Upside |
| 96 |  Suriname | $37B | under $1B | 47% | Emerging Upside |
| 102 | Panama | $21B | $3.0B | 61% | Emerging Upside |
What compute costs right now
The price of the silicon a country would host, from the tape. Labeled buy-now prints from named venues.
Questions people ask
How much data center capacity does Panama have?
Panama runs about 60 MW of live datacenter IT capacity as of 7 Sep 2026, an estimate: country totals below the top 35 markets are estimated. Valued at $50B per gigawatt, that is a Gross Domestic Compute of $3.0B.
What is Panama's compute net worth?
The ceiling is $300B to $400B: 5.0 GW of identified hydro, geothermal, solar, wind and surplus fossil resource valued at $60 to 80B per gigawatt, NVIDIA's all-in figure for an AI factory. That is 4 times Panama's $90B GDP. The bankable slice today, after a readiness discount of 61%, is $21B.
What holds Panama back from converting its energy into compute?
Readiness scores 61% on an eight-part discount stack (governance, stability, GPU access, grid, fiber, momentum, physical conditions and capital access). For Panama the binding discounts are governance and physical conditions. It has built 35.9% of its ceiling as generating capacity, and its conversion score is 24 of 100.
How does Panama compare with its neighbours?
Panama ranks 102 of 108 countries by unlockable value, and 18 of 18 in Americas. The regional leader is United States at $6.4T unlockable and $2.0T of live compute.
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