Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 9.5 years longer

In Laos, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 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 4.3 times more likely to be obese

In Laos, 5.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Panama, that number is 22.7% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 4.3 times more money

Laos has a GDP per capita of $8,400 as of 2023, while in Panama, the GDP per capita is $35,800 as of 2023.

be 5.7 times more likely to be unemployed

In Laos, 1.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Panama, that number is 6.7% as of 2023.

be 17.5% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Laos, 18.3% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Panama, however, that number is 21.5% as of 2019.

Life

be 60.3% less likely to die during childbirth

In Laos, approximately 126.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Panama, 50.0 women do as of 2020.

be 56.5% less likely to die during infancy

In Laos, approximately 37.8 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 12.1% fewer children

In Laos, there are approximately 19.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Panama, there are 17.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Expenditures

spend 69.6% more on education

Laos spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Panama spends 3.9% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 3.6 times more on healthcare

Laos spends 2.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Panama, that number is 9.7% of GDP as of 2020.

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 Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.

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