Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 41.2% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Ghana, 1.7% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Panama, that number is 1.0% of people as of 2020.

live 8.2 years longer

In Ghana, the average life expectancy is 69 years (68 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2022. In Panama, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2022.

be 2.1 times more likely to be obese

In Ghana, 10.9% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Panama, that number is 22.7% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 5.3 times more money

Ghana has a GDP per capita of $6,700 as of 2023, while in Panama, the GDP per capita is $35,800 as of 2023.

be 2.2 times more likely to be unemployed

In Ghana, 3.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Panama, that number is 6.7% as of 2023.

Life

be 81.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In Ghana, approximately 263.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Panama, 50.0 women do as of 2020.

be 21.1% more likely to be literate

In Ghana, the literacy rate is 79.0% as of 2018. In Panama, it is 95.7% as of 2019.

be 49.6% less likely to die during infancy

In Ghana, approximately 32.6 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.

have 37.0% fewer children

In Ghana, there are approximately 27.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Panama, there are 17.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 11.6% more likely to have access to electricity

In Ghana, approximately 85% of people have electricity access (95% in urban areas, and 74% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Panama, that number is 95% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 86% in rural areas) as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 2.4 times more on healthcare

Ghana spends 4.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Panama, that number is 9.7% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 4.6 times more coastline

Ghana has a total of 539 km of coastline. In Panama, that number is 2,490 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

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 Ghana? See an in-depth size comparison.

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