Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Panama instead of Hong Kong, you would:

Health

live 5.6 years less

In Hong Kong, the average life expectancy is 85 years (83 years for men, 88 years for women) as of 2024. In Panama, that number is 80 years (77 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

be 3.0 times more likely to be unemployed

In Hong Kong, 2.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Panama, that number is 8.4% as of 2025.

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make 65.3% less money

Hong Kong has a GDP per capita of $56,983 as of 2025, while in Panama, the GDP per capita is $19,790 as of 2025.

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Life

have 3.2 times more children

In Hong Kong, there are approximately 4.9 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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be 4.7 times more likely to die during infancy

In Hong Kong, approximately 2.5 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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Basic Needs

be 24.0% less likely to have internet access

In Hong Kong, approximately 95.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Panama, about 72.8% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 35.2% less on education

Hong Kong spends 3.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Panama spends 2.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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Geography

see 3.4 times more coastline

Hong Kong has a total of 733 km of coastline. In Panama, that number is 2,490 km.

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Safety

be 30.8 times more likely to be murdered

Hong Kong has a homicide rate of 0.4 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Panama, that number is 11.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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Infrastructure

find 55.0% less home broadband

Hong Kong has 40.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Panama has 18.1 as of 2023.

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use 57.3% less electricity

Hong Kong uses 6,359 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Panama uses 2,715 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 40.4% less CO2

Hong Kong emits 4.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Panama emits 2.7 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2023–2025), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this

Compare further: Hong Kong vs. Panama

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Panama is 46.1% cheaper than Hong Kong overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
Hong Kong is about 68 times smaller than Panama.
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Moving from Hong Kong to Panama · UN DESA 2020
337 people born in Hong Kong live in Panama.
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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 Hong Kong? See an in-depth size comparison.

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