Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Virgin Islands instead of Panama, you would:

Health

live 2.6 years longer

In Panama, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2022. In Virgin Islands, that number is 80 years (77 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 11.1% more money

Panama has a GDP per capita of $33,300 as of 2022, while in Virgin Islands, the GDP per capita is $37,000 as of 2016.

be 56.8% more likely to be unemployed

In Panama, 8.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Virgin Islands, that number is 12.9% as of 2022.

be 34.4% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Panama, 21.5% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Virgin Islands, however, that number is 28.9% as of 2002.

Life

be 53.5% 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 Virgin Islands, on the other hand, 7.7 children do as of 2022.

have 36.2% fewer children

In Panama, there are approximately 17.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Virgin Islands, there are 11.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Geography

see 92.4% less coastline

Panama has a total of 2,490 km of coastline. In Virgin Islands, that number is 188 km.

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

Virgin Islands: At a glance

Virgin Islands (sometimes abbreviated USVI) is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 346 sq km. The Danes secured control over the southern Virgin Islands of Saint Thomas, Saint John, and Saint Croix during the 17th and early 18th centuries. Sugarcane, produced by African slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish holdings, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848.
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How big is Virgin Islands compared to Panama? See an in-depth size comparison.

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