Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Panama instead of Dominican Republic, you would:
Health
live 5.9 years longer
In Dominican Republic, the average life expectancy is 74 years (71 years for men, 77 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 2.8 times more spent on your healthcare
Dominican Republic spends $1,169 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Panama spends $3,318 as of 2023.
be 21.7% less likely to die by suicide
Dominican Republic has a suicide rate of 4.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Panama, it is 3.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 10.0% more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Dominican Republic, 1.0% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Panama, that number is 1.1% of people as of 2024.
be 22.6% more likely to be obese
In Dominican Republic, 30.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Panama, that number is 37.7% of people as of 2024.
have 33.0% fewer doctors per person
Dominican Republic has 24.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Panama has 16.2 as of 2022.
Economy
make 78.9% more money
Dominican Republic has a GDP per capita of $11,059 as of 2025, while in Panama, the GDP per capita is $19,790 as of 2025.
be 64.2% more likely to be unemployed
In Dominican Republic, 5.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Panama, that number is 8.4% as of 2025.
be 25.4% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Dominican Republic, 17.3% live below the poverty line as of 2025. In Panama, however, that number is 21.7% as of 2023.
Life
be 70.2% less likely to die during childbirth
In Dominican Republic, approximately 124.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Panama, 37.0 women do as of 2023.
be 56.7% less likely to die during infancy
In Dominican Republic, approximately 27.7 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.
Basic Needs
be 20.0% less likely to have internet access
In Dominican Republic, approximately 91.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Panama, about 72.8% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 34.3% less on education
Dominican Republic spends 3.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Panama spends 2.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 81.1% more on healthcare
Dominican Republic spends 4.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Panama, that number is 8.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 93.3% more coastline
Dominican Republic has a total of 1,288 km of coastline. In Panama, that number is 2,490 km.
Safety
be 73.4% less likely to die in a road accident
In Dominican Republic, road accidents kill 27.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Panama, they kill 7.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 61.9% more home broadband
Dominican Republic has 11.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Panama has 18.1 as of 2023.
live with 97.7% less strain on fresh water
Dominican Republic withdraws 40% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Panama withdraws 1% as of 2022.
use 45.4% more electricity
Dominican Republic uses 1,867 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Panama uses 2,715 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 37.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In Dominican Republic, air pollution causes 27.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Panama, it causes 17.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Dominican Republic vs. Panama
Panama: At a glance
How big is Panama compared to Dominican Republic? See an in-depth size comparison.