Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Panama instead of El Salvador, you would:
Health
live 7.5 years longer
In El Salvador, the average life expectancy is 72 years (68 years for men, 76 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
El Salvador spends $1,176 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Panama spends $3,318 as of 2023.
be 56.9% less likely to die by suicide
El Salvador has a suicide rate of 7.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Panama, it is 3.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 2.8 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In El Salvador, 0.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Panama, that number is 1.1% of people as of 2024.
be 17.3% more likely to be obese
In El Salvador, 32.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Panama, that number is 37.7% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 20.2% less likely to live below the poverty line
In El Salvador, 27.2% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Panama, however, that number is 21.7% as of 2023.
make 3.4 times more money
El Salvador has a GDP per capita of $5,767 as of 2025, while in Panama, the GDP per capita is $19,790 as of 2025.
be 2.5 times more likely to be unemployed
In El Salvador, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Panama, that number is 8.4% as of 2025.
Life
be 36.4% more likely to die during infancy
In El Salvador, approximately 8.8 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.
Expenditures
spend 25.6% less on education
El Salvador spends 3.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Panama spends 2.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 10.3% less on healthcare
El Salvador spends 9.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Panama, that number is 8.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 8.1 times more coastline
El Salvador has a total of 307 km of coastline. In Panama, that number is 2,490 km.
Safety
be 66.0% less likely to die in a road accident
In El Salvador, road accidents kill 21.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Panama, they kill 7.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 48.2% more likely to be murdered
El Salvador has a homicide rate of 7.9 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In Panama, that number is 11.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 12.9% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In El Salvador, 38% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2019. In Panama, that number is 33% as of 2016.
Infrastructure
find 45.5% more home broadband
El Salvador has 12.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Panama has 18.1 as of 2023.
live with 92.6% less strain on fresh water
El Salvador withdraws 12% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Panama withdraws 1% as of 2022.
use 2.4 times more electricity
El Salvador uses 1,137 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Panama uses 2,715 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 45.2% less likely to die from air pollution
In El Salvador, air pollution causes 31.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Panama, it causes 17.0 as of 2019.
emit 81.5% more CO2
El Salvador emits 1.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Panama emits 2.7 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2016–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: El Salvador vs. Panama
Panama: At a glance
How big is Panama compared to El Salvador? See an in-depth size comparison.