Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Puerto Rico instead of Panama, you would:

Health

live 4.1 years longer

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

Economy

make 20.1% more money

Panama has a GDP per capita of $35,800 as of 2023, while in Puerto Rico, the GDP per capita is $43,000 as of 2023.

be 11.0% less likely to be unemployed

In Panama, 6.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Puerto Rico, that number is 6.0% as of 2023.

pay a 32.0% higher top tax rate

Panama has a top tax rate of 25.0% as of 2016. In Puerto Rico, the top tax rate is 33.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 32.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In Panama, approximately 50.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Puerto Rico, 34.0 women do as of 2020.

be 63.3% less likely to die during infancy

In Panama, approximately 16.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Puerto Rico, on the other hand, 6.0 children do as of 2022.

have 55.2% fewer children

In Panama, there are approximately 17.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, there are 7.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 14.3% more likely to have internet access

In Panama, approximately 68.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Puerto Rico, about 77.7% do as of 2021.

Geography

see 79.9% less coastline

Panama has a total of 2,490 km of coastline. In Puerto Rico, that number is 501 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Puerto Rican Department of Treasury, General Directorate of Revenues, Panama.

Puerto Rico: At a glance

Puerto Rico is a territory in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 8,959 sq km. Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the island was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following Christopher COLUMBUS' second voyage to the Americas. In 1898, after 400 years of colonial rule that saw the indigenous population nearly exterminated and African slave labor introduced, Puerto Rico was ceded to the US as a result of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship in 1917. Popularly-elected governors have served since 1948. In 1952, a constitution was enacted providing for internal self government. In plebiscites held in 1967, 1993, and 1998, voters chose not to alter the existing political status with the US, but the results of a 2012 vote left open the possibility of American statehood.
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How big is Puerto Rico compared to Panama? See an in-depth size comparison.

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