Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Panama instead of Bhutan, you would:
Health
live 6.5 years longer
In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Panama, that number is 80 years (77 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2024.
see 4.9 times more spent on your healthcare
Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Panama spends $3,318 as of 2023.
have 2.9 times more doctors per person
Bhutan has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Panama has 16.2 as of 2022.
have 30.0% more access to essential health services
Bhutan scores 60 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Panama scores 78 as of 2021.
be 32.9% less likely to die by suicide
Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Panama, it is 3.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 5.5 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Bhutan, 0.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Panama, that number is 1.1% of people as of 2024.
be 2.9 times more likely to be obese
In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Panama, that number is 37.7% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 4.4 times more money
Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $4,493 as of 2025, while in Panama, the GDP per capita is $19,790 as of 2025.
be 2.6 times more likely to be unemployed
In Bhutan, 3.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Panama, that number is 8.4% as of 2025.
be 75.0% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Bhutan, 12.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Panama, however, that number is 21.7% as of 2023.
Life
be 21.3% less likely to die during childbirth
In Bhutan, approximately 47.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Panama, 37.0 women do as of 2023.
be 48.3% more likely to be literate
In Bhutan, the literacy rate is 64.9% as of 2022. In Panama, it is 96.2% as of 2024.
be 12.4% less likely to die during infancy
In Bhutan, approximately 13.7 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Panama, on the other hand, 12.0 children do as of 2024.
have 26.7% more children
In Bhutan, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Panama, there are 15.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 20.3% less likely to have internet access
In Bhutan, approximately 91.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Panama, about 72.8% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 57.8% less on education
Bhutan spends 5.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Panama spends 2.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 88.5% more on healthcare
Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Panama, that number is 8.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 40.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In Bhutan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Panama, they kill 7.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 4.7 times more likely to be murdered
Bhutan has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Panama, that number is 11.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 6.2 times more home broadband
Bhutan has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Panama has 18.1 as of 2023.
live with 36.2% less strain on fresh water
Bhutan withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Panama withdraws 1% as of 2022.
Environment
be 70.2% less likely to die from air pollution
In Bhutan, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Panama, it causes 17.0 as of 2019.
emit 36.3% more CO2
Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Panama emits 2.7 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bhutan vs. Panama
Panama: At a glance
How big is Panama compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.