Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 2.6 years longer

In Cook Islands, the average life expectancy is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2022. In Panama, that number is 80 years (77 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 47.9% less likely to be obese

In Cook Islands, 72.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Panama, that number is 37.7% of people as of 2024.

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have 20.8% more doctors per person

Cook Islands has 13.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2019. Panama has 16.2 as of 2022.

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have 69.6% more access to essential health services

Cook Islands scores 46 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Panama scores 78 as of 2021.

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Life

be 24.7% less likely to die during infancy

In Cook Islands, approximately 15.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Panama, on the other hand, 12.0 children do as of 2024.

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have 31.2% more children

In Cook Islands, there are approximately 12.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Panama, there are 15.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 12.3% more likely to have internet access

In Cook Islands, approximately 64.8% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Panama, about 72.8% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 46.3% less on education

Cook Islands spends 4.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Panama spends 2.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 2.6 times more on healthcare

Cook Islands spends 3.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Panama, that number is 8.3% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 20.8 times more coastline

Cook Islands has a total of 120 km of coastline. In Panama, that number is 2,490 km.

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Safety

be 58.5% less likely to die in a road accident

In Cook Islands, road accidents kill 17.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Panama, they kill 7.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Sources: The World Factbook (2020–2024), World Bank (2022–2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Compare further: Cook Islands vs. Panama

Cost of Living Comparison · 5 categories - 2026 data
Panama is 5.3% more expensive than Cook Islands overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
Cook Islands is about 320 times smaller than Panama.
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Moving from Cook Islands to Panama · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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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 Cook Islands? See an in-depth size comparison.

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