Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Panama instead of Belgium, you would:

Health

live 4.2 years less

In Belgium, the average life expectancy is 82 years (79 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022. In Panama, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

pay a 53.4% lower top tax rate

Belgium has a top tax rate of 53.7% as of 2016. In Panama, the top tax rate is 25.0% as of 2016.

make 43.7% less money

Belgium has a GDP per capita of $63,600 as of 2023, while in Panama, the GDP per capita is $35,800 as of 2023.

be 21.6% more likely to be unemployed

In Belgium, 5.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Panama, that number is 6.7% as of 2023.

be 74.8% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Belgium, 12.3% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Panama, however, that number is 21.5% as of 2019.

Life

have 61.1% more children

In Belgium, there are approximately 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Panama, there are 17.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 10.0 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Belgium, approximately 5.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Panama, 50.0 women do as of 2020.

be 5.2 times more likely to die during infancy

In Belgium, approximately 3.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Panama, on the other hand, 16.4 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 25.3% less likely to have internet access

In Belgium, approximately 91.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Panama, about 68.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 41.8% less on education

Belgium spends 6.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Panama spends 3.9% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 12.6% less on healthcare

Belgium spends 11.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Panama, that number is 9.7% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 37.4 times more coastline

Belgium has a total of 66 km of coastline. In Panama, that number is 2,490 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Service Public Fédéral Finances, The World Factbook, General Directorate of Revenues, Panama.

Panama: At a glance

Panama is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 74,340 sq km. Explored and settled by the Spanish in the 16th century, Panama broke with Spain in 1821 and joined a union of Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela - named the Republic of Gran Colombia. When the latter dissolved in 1830, Panama remained part of Colombia. With US backing, Panama seceded from Colombia in 1903 and promptly signed a treaty with the US allowing for the construction of a canal and US sovereignty over a strip of land on either side of the structure (the Panama Canal Zone). The Panama Canal was built by the US Army Corps of Engineers between 1904 and 1914. In 1977, an agreement was signed for the complete transfer of the Canal from the US to Panama by the end of the century. Certain portions of the Zone and increasing responsibility over the Canal were turned over in the subsequent decades. With US help, dictator Manuel NORIEGA was deposed in 1989. The entire Panama Canal, the area supporting the Canal, and remaining US military bases were transferred to Panama by the end of 1999. In October 2006, Panamanians approved an ambitious plan (estimated to cost $5.3 billion) to expand the Canal. The project, which began in 2007 and could double the Canal's capacity, is expected to be completed in 2015.
Read more

How big is Panama compared to Belgium? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Panama.or Belgium It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.