Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 21.9 years longer

In Somalia, the average life expectancy is 56 years (53 years for men, 58 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 2.7 times more likely to be obese

In Somalia, 8.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Panama, that number is 22.7% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 23.8 times more money

Somalia has a GDP per capita of $1,400 as of 2022, while in Panama, the GDP per capita is $33,300 as of 2022.

be 57.5% less likely to be unemployed

In Somalia, 19.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Panama, that number is 8.2% as of 2022.

be 60.5% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Somalia, 54.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Panama, however, that number is 21.5% as of 2019.

Life

be 91.9% less likely to die during childbirth

In Somalia, approximately 621.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Panama, 50.0 women do as of 2020.

be 81.0% less likely to die during infancy

In Somalia, approximately 86.5 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 53.5% fewer children

In Somalia, there are approximately 37.4 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 93.1% more likely to have access to electricity

In Somalia, approximately 49% of people have electricity access (71% in urban areas, and 31% in rural areas) as of 2021. In Panama, that number is 95% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 86% in rural areas) as of 2021.

be 4.7 times more likely to have internet access

In Somalia, approximately 14.5% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Panama, about 68.0% do as of 2021.

be 14.3% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Somalia, approximately 84% of people have improved drinking water access (96% in urban areas, and 74% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Panama, that number is 96% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 88% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 13.0 times more on education

Somalia spends 0.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Panama spends 3.9% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

Geography

see 17.7% less coastline

Somalia has a total of 3,025 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.
Read more

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

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Panama.or Somalia It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.