If you lived in Panama instead of United Arab Emirates, you would:

Health

be 11.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In United Arab Emirates, 0.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Panama, that number is 1.1% of people as of 2024.

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live 3.3 years less

In United Arab Emirates, the average life expectancy is 83 years (82 years for men, 84 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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be 19.3% more likely to be obese

In United Arab Emirates, 31.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Panama, that number is 37.7% of people as of 2024.

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see 11.0% less spent on your healthcare

United Arab Emirates spends $3,727 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Panama spends $3,318 as of 2023.

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have 45.7% fewer doctors per person

United Arab Emirates has 29.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Panama has 16.2 as of 2022.

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be 92.4% more likely to die by suicide

United Arab Emirates has a suicide rate of 1.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Panama, it is 3.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 3.9 times more likely to be unemployed

In United Arab Emirates, 2.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Panama, that number is 8.4% as of 2025.

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make 60.6% less money

United Arab Emirates has a GDP per capita of $50,274 as of 2024, while in Panama, the GDP per capita is $19,790 as of 2025.

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Life

have 61.6% more children

In United Arab Emirates, there are approximately 9.8 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 12.3 times more likely to die during childbirth

In United Arab Emirates, approximately 3.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Panama, 37.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 3.2 times more likely to die during infancy

In United Arab Emirates, approximately 3.8 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.

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Basic Needs

be 27.2% less likely to have internet access

In United Arab Emirates, approximately 100.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Panama, about 72.8% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 36.5% less on education

United Arab Emirates spends 3.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Panama spends 2.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 67.6% more on healthcare

United Arab Emirates spends 5.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Panama, that number is 8.3% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 88.9% more coastline

United Arab Emirates has a total of 1,318 km of coastline. In Panama, that number is 2,490 km.

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Safety

be 17.0 times more likely to be murdered

United Arab Emirates has a homicide rate of 0.7 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In Panama, that number is 11.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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be 23.7% more likely to die in a road accident

In United Arab Emirates, road accidents kill 5.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Panama, they kill 7.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 99.9% less strain on fresh water

United Arab Emirates withdraws 1510% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Panama withdraws 1% as of 2022.

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find 55.6% less home broadband

United Arab Emirates has 40.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Panama has 18.1 as of 2023.

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use 82.2% less electricity

United Arab Emirates uses 15,285 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Panama uses 2,715 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

be 75.7% less likely to die from air pollution

In United Arab Emirates, air pollution causes 70.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Panama, it causes 17.0 as of 2019.

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emit 85.0% less CO2

United Arab Emirates emits 18.3 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 (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

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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