Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Panama instead of Costa Rica, you would:

Health

be 11.7% less likely to be obese

In Costa Rica, 25.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Panama, that number is 22.7% of people as of 2016.

live 2.0 years less

In Costa Rica, the average life expectancy is 80 years (77 years for men, 82 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

make 38.8% more money

Costa Rica has a GDP per capita of $25,800 as of 2023, while in Panama, the GDP per capita is $35,800 as of 2023.

be 19.3% less likely to be unemployed

In Costa Rica, 8.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Panama, that number is 6.7% as of 2023.

be 15.7% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Costa Rica, 25.5% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Panama, however, that number is 21.5% as of 2019.

pay a 66.7% higher top tax rate

Costa Rica has a top tax rate of 15.0% as of 2016. In Panama, the top tax rate is 25.0% as of 2016.

Life

have 61.1% more children

In Costa Rica, 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 2.3 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Costa Rica, approximately 22.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Panama, 50.0 women do as of 2020.

be 95.9% more likely to die during infancy

In Costa Rica, approximately 8.4 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 18.1% less likely to have internet access

In Costa Rica, approximately 83.0% 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

Costa Rica 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 22.8% more on healthcare

Costa Rica spends 7.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Panama, that number is 9.7% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 93.0% more coastline

Costa Rica has a total of 1,290 km of coastline. In Panama, that number is 2,490 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, General Directorate of Revenues, Panama, Directorate General of Taxation of Costa Rica.

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

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