Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Northern Mariana Islands instead of Panama, you would:

Health

live 0.8 years less

In Panama, the average life expectancy is 80 years (77 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2024. In Northern Mariana Islands, that number is 79 years (77 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

make 20.2% more money

Panama has a GDP per capita of $19,790 as of 2025, while in Northern Mariana Islands, the GDP per capita is $23,786 as of 2022.

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Life

have 23.7% fewer children

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

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Basic Needs

be 65.5% less likely to have internet access

In Panama, approximately 72.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Northern Mariana Islands, about 25.1% do as of 2021.

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Geography

see 40.5% less coastline

Panama has a total of 2,490 km of coastline. In Northern Mariana Islands, that number is 1,482 km.

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Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this

Compare further: Panama vs. Northern Mariana Islands

Cost of Living Comparison · 5 categories - 2026 data
Northern Mariana Islands is 19.1% more expensive than Panama overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
Panama is about 163 times bigger than Northern Mariana Islands.
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Moving from Panama to Northern Mariana Islands · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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Northern Mariana Islands: At a glance

Northern Mariana Islands (sometimes abbreviated CNMI) is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 464 sq km. Under US administration as part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific, the people of the Northern Mariana Islands decided in the 1970s not to seek independence but instead to forge closer links with the US. Negotiations for territorial status began in 1972. A covenant to establish a commonwealth in political union with the US was approved in 1975, and came into force on 24 March 1976. A new government and constitution went into effect in 1978.
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How big is Northern Mariana Islands compared to Panama? See an in-depth size comparison.

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