How Panama compares to other countries around the world
Out of 227 countries ranked in a recent study of life expectancy by the CIA’s World Factbook, Panama comes in at #56. According to data gathered in 2011, the average lifespan in Panama is 77.79 years.
To put this in perspective, look at how Panama compares with a few other countries:
- United States – 49th
- United Kingdom – 28th
- Canada – 11th
- Mexico – 76th
Keep in mind that these figures present a high-level picture, and don’t break down details like cause of death. These numbers present a summary of mortality at all ages and include the entire population. Some countries’ rankings reflect extremely high infant mortality and/or incidence of disease. In developed countries, men have a lower life expectancy than women by an average of 6 years.
The information does give us some things to ponder, though. Look what happens when we compare these same countries in 2011 with where they were ranked in 2005.
What does this mean for you? Probably not much if you are middle-aged, as your health-related patterns have already been established. What the chart does illustrate is that Panama has seen a significant rise in its ranking over the last several years, increasing from #74 all the way up to #56. These figures represent what is referred to as ‘life expectancy at birth’ which is considered to be a measure of overall quality of life in a country. We can speculate why this is happening by attributing the rise to better sanitation and medical care, lower infant mortality rates, and better nutrition.
Now, here’s a bit of trivia for the data nerds – Monaco topped the chart at the #1 position with a life expectancy of 89.73 years. I want what they’re drinking! The country ranked lowest was Angola with a lifespan of only 38.76 years. As of 2011 the average global lifespan for all people was 63 years.
Solid evidence that life in Panama just keeps getting better and better!
