Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Panama instead of New Caledonia, you would:

Health

live 0.9 years longer

In New Caledonia, the average life expectancy is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 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 25.2% less likely to be unemployed

In New Caledonia, 11.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Panama, that number is 8.4% as of 2025.

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make 32.3% less money

New Caledonia has a GDP per capita of $29,213 as of 2024, while in Panama, the GDP per capita is $19,790 as of 2025.

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Life

have 13.1% more children

In New Caledonia, there are approximately 14.0 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 11.3% less likely to have internet access

In New Caledonia, approximately 82.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Panama, about 72.8% do as of 2024.

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Geography

see 10.5% more coastline

New Caledonia has a total of 2,254 km of coastline. In Panama, that number is 2,490 km.

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Environment

emit 84.0% less CO2

New Caledonia emits 17.1 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 (2024–2025), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this

Compare further: New Caledonia vs. Panama

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Panama is 33.0% cheaper than New Caledonia overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
New Caledonia is about 4.1 times smaller than Panama.
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Moving from New Caledonia 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 New Caledonia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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