Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 3.3 years longer

In Syria, the average life expectancy is 74 years (73 years for men, 76 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 18.3% less likely to be obese

In Syria, 27.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Panama, that number is 22.7% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 12.3 times more money

Syria has a GDP per capita of $2,900 as of 2021, while in Panama, the GDP per capita is $35,800 as of 2023.

be 50.5% less likely to be unemployed

In Syria, 13.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Panama, that number is 6.7% as of 2023.

be 73.9% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Syria, 82.5% live below the poverty line as of 2014. In Panama, however, that number is 21.5% as of 2019.

pay a 13.6% higher top tax rate

Syria has a top tax rate of 22.0% as of 2016. In Panama, the top tax rate is 25.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 10.8% more likely to be literate

In Syria, the literacy rate is 86.4% as of 2015. In Panama, it is 95.7% as of 2019.

be 66.7% more likely to die during childbirth

In Syria, approximately 30.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Panama, 50.0 women do as of 2020.

have 19.8% fewer children

In Syria, there are approximately 21.7 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 45.9% more likely to have internet access

In Syria, approximately 46.6% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Panama, about 68.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 23.5% less on education

Syria spends 5.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2009. Panama spends 3.9% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

Geography

see 12.9 times more coastline

Syria has a total of 193 km of coastline. In Panama, that number is 2,490 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, Syria, General Directorate of Revenues, Panama.

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 Syria? See an in-depth size comparison.

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