Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Panama instead of Vanuatu, you would:
Health
live 8.1 years longer
In Vanuatu, the average life expectancy is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In Panama, that number is 80 years (77 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2024.
see 23.5 times more spent on your healthcare
Vanuatu spends $141 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Panama spends $3,318 as of 2023.
have 9.9 times more doctors per person
Vanuatu has 1.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2019. Panama has 16.2 as of 2022.
have 66.0% more access to essential health services
Vanuatu scores 47 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Panama scores 78 as of 2021.
be 79.1% less likely to die by suicide
Vanuatu has a suicide rate of 15.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Panama, it is 3.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 11.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Vanuatu, 0.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Panama, that number is 1.1% of people as of 2024.
be 67.1% more likely to be obese
In Vanuatu, 22.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Panama, that number is 37.7% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 4.9 times more money
Vanuatu has a GDP per capita of $4,039 as of 2025, while in Panama, the GDP per capita is $19,790 as of 2025.
be 64.9% more likely to be unemployed
In Vanuatu, 5.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Panama, that number is 8.4% as of 2025.
be 36.5% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Vanuatu, 15.9% live below the poverty line as of 2020. In Panama, however, that number is 21.7% as of 2023.
Life
be 63.0% less likely to die during childbirth
In Vanuatu, approximately 100.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Panama, 37.0 women do as of 2023.
be 16.7% less likely to die during infancy
In Vanuatu, approximately 14.4 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.
have 42.6% fewer children
In Vanuatu, there are approximately 27.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Panama, there are 15.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 57.5% more likely to have access to electricity
In Vanuatu, approximately 62% of people have electricity access (88% in urban areas, and 54% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Panama, that number is 97% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 91% in rural areas) as of 2023.
Expenditures
spend 67.7% less on education
Vanuatu spends 7.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Panama spends 2.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 2.0 times more on healthcare
Vanuatu spends 4.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Panama, that number is 8.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 41.6% less likely to die in a road accident
In Vanuatu, road accidents kill 12.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Panama, they kill 7.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 35.5 times more likely to be murdered
Vanuatu has a homicide rate of 0.3 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Panama, that number is 11.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 15.6 times more home broadband
Vanuatu has 1.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Panama has 18.1 as of 2023.
Environment
be 70.2% less likely to die from air pollution
In Vanuatu, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Panama, it causes 17.0 as of 2019.
emit 3.1 times more CO2
Vanuatu emits 0.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Panama emits 2.7 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2020). How we calculate this
Compare further: Vanuatu vs. Panama
Panama: At a glance
How big is Panama compared to Vanuatu? See an in-depth size comparison.