Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Panama instead of South Korea, you would:
Health
be 88.0% less likely to die by suicide
South Korea has a suicide rate of 27.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Panama, it is 3.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 3.8 years less
In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Panama, that number is 80 years (77 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2024.
be 4.5 times more likely to be obese
In South Korea, 8.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Panama, that number is 37.7% of people as of 2024.
see 34.7% less spent on your healthcare
South Korea spends $5,081 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Panama spends $3,318 as of 2023.
have 37.7% fewer doctors per person
South Korea has 26.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Panama has 16.2 as of 2022.
have 12.4% less access to essential health services
South Korea scores 89 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Panama scores 78 as of 2021.
Economy
be 3.1 times more likely to be unemployed
In South Korea, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Panama, that number is 8.4% as of 2025.
make 45.4% less money
South Korea has a GDP per capita of $36,227 as of 2025, while in Panama, the GDP per capita is $19,790 as of 2025.
Life
have 3.4 times more children
In South Korea, there are approximately 4.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Panama, there are 15.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 9.2 times more likely to die during childbirth
In South Korea, approximately 4.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Panama, 37.0 women do as of 2023.
be 5.2 times more likely to die during infancy
In South Korea, approximately 2.3 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.
Basic Needs
be 25.7% less likely to have internet access
In South Korea, approximately 97.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Panama, about 72.8% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 54.3% less on education
South Korea spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Panama spends 2.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Safety
be 24.4 times more likely to be murdered
South Korea has a homicide rate of 0.5 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Panama, that number is 11.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Infrastructure
live with 98.9% less strain on fresh water
South Korea withdraws 85% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Panama withdraws 1% as of 2022.
find 62.1% less home broadband
South Korea has 47.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Panama has 18.1 as of 2023.
use 76.1% less electricity
South Korea uses 11,350 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Panama uses 2,715 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 10.5% less likely to die from air pollution
In South Korea, air pollution causes 19.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Panama, it causes 17.0 as of 2019.
emit 75.9% less CO2
South Korea emits 11.4 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 (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: South Korea vs. Panama
Panama: At a glance
How big is Panama compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.