Panama’s International Banking Center (IBC) continues to follow a growth path that reflects depositor confidence, the momentum of financial intermediation, and the soundness of the Panamanian banking system.
Deposits and the loan portfolio continued to perform positively, while key prudential indicators remained well above regulatory minimums, according to the July 2026 Banking Activity Report (IAB) published by the Superintendency of Banks of Panama (SBP), which highlights the IBC’s favorable performance.
Deposits reached USD 121,459.3 million, representing year-over-year growth of 7.37%, equivalent to an increase of USD 8,333.2 million from the USD 113,126.1 million reported in July 2025.
The net loan portfolio also continued to perform positively, reaching USD 104,332.9 million, an increase of 4.88%, equivalent to USD 4,856.7 million compared with the USD 99,476.2 million reported for the same period in 2025. This performance confirms the continued expansion of financial intermediation, although growth rates differed between the local and external components.
Regarding net of provisions, the local loan portfolio stood at USD 63,933.1 million, representing a year-over-year increase of USD 1,226.0 million, or 1.96%. The external loan portfolio reached USD 40,399.8 million, increasing by USD 3,630.7 million, or 9.87%.
The performance of both components highlights the IBC’s regional reach, as the external component accounted for approximately 75% of the growth in the loan portfolio. This reflects the capacity of institutions operating in Panama to conduct and support financial operations beyond the local market.
Regarding new loans, the report recorded a total of USD 15,357.9 million, an increase of USD 121.3 million, or 0.8%. Growth in financial companies, personal consumption, and industrial sectors offset declines in lending to public entities, commerce, construction, and mortgages.
Another notable development was the ratio of the net loan portfolio to deposits. As deposits grew at a faster pace than the loan portfolio, this ratio declined from 87.9% in July 2025 to 85.9% in July 2026.
The IBC’s total assets reached USD 168,723.9 million, representing year-over-year growth of 6.92%, compared with USD 157,807.8 million in July 2025. This expansion was primarily associated with growth in investments in securities and the net loan portfolio, which together increased by 8.47%.
In terms of liquidity, net liquid assets stood at USD 16,329.8 million, equivalent to 9.68% of total assets. This represented a decrease of USD 471.6 million, or 2.81%, primarily attributable to a decline in deposits held with local banks, which fell by USD 458.4 million, or 15.94%, to USD 2,417.7 million.
Prudential indicators continue to reflect the strength of the banking system. The Legal Liquidity Ratio of the National Banking System (NBS) stood at 58.48%, nearly twice the regulatory minimum of 30%. Meanwhile, the Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) for June 2026 reached 15.72%, comfortably exceeding the regulatory minimum of 8%.
The combined results of the IAB show that the IBC maintains a favorable financial position, supported by strong regulatory liquidity, adequate capital backing, deposit growth, and stronger operating performance.
These results demonstrate the IBC’s capacity to sustain sound financial intermediation and meet the financing needs of the markets it serves, reinforcing its importance as a regional financial hub.
For more information on the report’s findings, visit www.superbancos.gob.pa and select Statistics.
