Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Panama instead of Rhode Island, you would:

Health

be 19.4% more likely to be obese

In Rhode Island, 31.6% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Panama, that number is 37.7% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 90.0% more likely to be unemployed

In Rhode Island, 4.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Panama, that number is 8.4% as of 2025.

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be 2.1 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Rhode Island, 10.3% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Panama, however, that number is 21.7% as of 2023.

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make 65.2% less money

Rhode Island has a GDP per capita of $56,938 as of 2024, while in Panama, the GDP per capita is $19,790 as of 2025.

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Basic Needs

be 19.9% less likely to have internet access

In Rhode Island, approximately 90.8% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In Panama, about 72.8% do as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2023–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), World Health Organization (2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024). How we calculate this

Compare further: Rhode Island vs. Panama

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Panama is 46.3% cheaper than Rhode Island
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Size Comparison · See true size
Rhode Island is about 28 times smaller than Panama.
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Moving from Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island? See an in-depth size comparison.

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