Panama (Republic of Panama)

Panama Republic of Panama
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	72nd best
Capital	Panama
Land Area	74 340km21
Location	North America, The Americas, Central America
Population	4.2m2
Life Expectancy	76.22yrs (2017)3
GNI	$26 957 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	PA, PAN, 5915
Internet Domain	.pa6
Currency	Balboa (PAB)7
Telephone	+5078

Panama is infamous as a Tax Haven, wherein rich individuals, corporations, and criminal syndicates, hide vast sums of money from authorities₉.

1. Overview
2. Panama National and Social Development
3. Panama's Demographics and Migration
4. Panama's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Panama's Health
6. Panama's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Panama's Modernity and Learning
8. Religion and Beliefs
9. Links

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1. Overview

#panama #venezuela

“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.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₁₀

“From deserted islands and clear turquoise seas to the coffee farms and cloud forests of Chiriquí, Panama can be as chilled out or as thrilling as you wish. Consider Panama a place of discovery: explore the ruins of Spanish forts on the Caribbean coast or boat deep into indigenous territories in a dugout canoe. There are plenty of beaches to choose from, too, from relaxed Caribbean hang-outs to Pacific surf.

For an urban turn, Panama City - culturally diverse, driven, rough-edged yet sophisticated - is one of Latin America´s most vibrant and outward-looking capitals. The dazzling blue coastline and shimmering skyscrapers say Miami, though many joke that you hear more English spoken in Panama. Pedal the coastal green space, explore the historic Casco or attend an avant-garde performance and you will realize this tropical city isn´t just about salsa - that´s just the backbeat.

In the last century, Panama was defined by the canal; what lies just beyond may define it for the next. The canal expansion spells growth and even more glitz, but for now you can still pick an empty islet, live out your castaway fantasies and play Survivor for a day. Panama is as urbane or as wild as you want it to be.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₁

Along with 11 others, Panama signed the Lima Declaration in 2017, condemning "the assault on democratic order and the systematic violation of human rights in Venezuela"₁₂.

2. Panama National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)13
Pos.		Higher is better Value13
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
58=	Costa Rica	0.809
58=	Uruguay	0.809
60	Belarus	0.808
61	Panama	0.805
62	Malaysia	0.803
63=	Mauritius	0.802
63=	Georgia	0.802
63=	Serbia	0.802
	The Americas Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)13
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $13
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
50	Greece	$29 002
51	Russia	$27 166
52	Oman	$27 054
53	Panama	$26 957
54	Malaysia	$26 658
55	Seychelles	$25 831
56	Chile	$24 563
57	Kazakhstan	$23 943
	The Americas Avg	$16 628
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index14
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank14
1	Denmark	27.0
2	Norway	29.9
3	Sweden	31.8
	...
69	Northern Cyprus	79.1
70	Turkey	79.2
71	Jamaica	79.3
72	Panama	80.9
73	UAE	81.0
74	Kosovo	81.0
75	Bahamas	81.6
76	St Vincent & Grenadines	81.6
	The Americas Avg	81.5
	World Avg	88.6
q=199.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Panama's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population:

Panama's population is predicted to rise to 4.502 million by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 2.30. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₅

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
124	New Zealand	4.7m
125	Central African Rep.	4.7m
126	Mauritania	4.4m
127	Panama	4.2m
128	Croatia	4.2m
129	Kuwait	4.1m
130	Moldova	4.1m
131	Georgia	4.0m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better13
Pos.		2021 Years13
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
52	Sri Lanka	76.4
53	Algeria	76.4
54	Montenegro	76.3
55	Panama	76.2
56	Turkey	76.0
57	Uruguay	75.4
58	Argentina	75.4
59	Bosnia & Herzegovina	75.3
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best16
Pos.		202216
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
37	Brunei	1.76
38	Dominican Rep.	2.25
39	Nicaragua	2.28
40	Panama	2.30
41	Morocco	2.30
42	Ireland	1.70
43	Colombia	1.69
44	French Polynesia	1.69
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better17
Pos.		2016 Per 10017
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
106	Grenada	16.2
107=	Brunei	16.2
108	El Salvador	17.3
109	Panama	17.7
110	N. Korea	17.8
111	Turkey	18.0
112	Vietnam	18.3
113	Tunisia	18.6
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

Migration:

Immigrants18
Pos.		2017 %18
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
83	Hungary	5.2%
84	Palestine	5.2%
85	Argentina	4.9%
86	Panama	4.7%
87	Tonga	4.6%
88	Venezuela	4.5%
89	Lithuania	4.3%
90	St Vincent & Grenadines	4.2%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants19
Pos.		2010 %19
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
123	Belgium	4.2%
124	Syria	4.2%
125	Burundi	4.2%
126	Panama	4.0%
127	Norway	3.8%
128	Bahrain	3.7%
129	Gambia	3.7%
130	Chile	3.7%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Panama's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#antisemitism #equality #freedom #freethought #gender #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #misogyny #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #slavery #tolerance #women

Compared to The Americas (2025)20
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank20
1	Canada	14.7
2	Costa Rica	31.8
3	Uruguay	35.5
	...
10	Dominica	57.3
11	Brazil	60.3
12	Jamaica	64.1
13	Panama	64.4
14	Trinidad & Tobago	66.2
15	Mexico	66.2
16	Bolivia	66.3
17	Bahamas	66.6
18	Ecuador	67.2
	The Americas Avg	71.80
q=36.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)20
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank20
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
53	Mauritius	63.7
54	Jamaica	64.1
55	S. Africa	64.3
56	Panama	64.4
57	Montenegro	65.3
58	Israel	65.7
59	Trinidad & Tobago	66.2
60	Mexico	66.2
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Denmark and Norway₂₁. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, N. Korea and Afghanistan₂₁.

21 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, eliminating modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₂₁, whereas the worst are Africa, The Middle East and Asia₂₁.

For more, see:

• " Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Human Rights & Tolerance:

Press Freedom Higher is better22
Pos.		202522
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
49	Mauritania	67.52
50	Mauritius	67.31
51	Ghana	67.13
52	Panama	66.75
53	Liberia	66.61
54	Romania	66.42
55	Sierra Leone	66.36
56	USA	65.49
	The Americas Avg	55.99
	World Avg	54.65
q=179.

Slavery Lower is better23
Pos.		2018 % Victims23
1	Japan	0.03
2=	Canada	0.05
2=	Taiwan	0.05
	...
35	Bolivia	0.21
36=	Iceland	0.21
36=	Oman	0.21
36=	Panama	0.21
36=	Sri Lanka	0.21
36=	UK	0.21
41	Tunisia	0.22
42=	Slovenia	0.22
	The Americas Avg	0.25
	World Avg	0.65
q=167.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better24
Pos.		2014 Rank24
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
43	Georgia	43
44=	Croatia	44
44=	Montenegro	44
46	Panama	46
47	Mongolia	47
48=	Bahamas	48
48=	Greece	48
50	Albania	50
	The Americas Avg	72.4
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
64	S. Korea	2.0
65=	Malta	2.0
65=	Croatia	2.0
65=	Panama	2.0
65=	Tonga	2.0
65=	Samoa	2.0
65=	Botswana	2.0
65=	Romania	2.0
	The Americas Avg	2.7
	World Avg	3.7
q=205.

Human Rights Watch Comments Higher is better25
Pos.		2017 Score25
1=	UK	9
1=	France	9
1=	Germany	9
	...
36	Paraguay	1
37=	Costa Rica	1
37=	Norway	1
37=	Panama	1
40	Ukraine	0
41=	Nepal	0
41=	S. Korea	0
43	Guatemala	-1
	The Americas Avg	-0.8
	World Avg	-1.9
q=123.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better26
Pos.		2009 Treaties26
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
46	Portugal	20
47=	Poland	20
47=	S. Korea	20
47=	Panama	20
47=	New Zealand	20
51	Uganda	19
52=	Colombia	19
52=	Switzerland	19
	The Americas Avg	16.5
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better27
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty27
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
7	Chile	4.12
8	Philippines	4.19
9	Bulgaria	4.24
10	Panama	4.26
11	Senegal	4.32
12	Namibia	4.36
13	Egypt	4.52
14	Spain	4.60
	The Americas Avg	8.45
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Gender Equality:

Panama has made some steps towards ending gender inequality but much more needs to be done.

See:

• "Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

Gender Inequality Lower is better28
Pos.		202228
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
90	Lebanon	0.38
91	Vietnam	0.38
92	Philippines	0.39
93	Panama	0.39
94	Egypt	0.39
95	Rwanda	0.40
96	Nicaragua	0.40
97=	Brazil	0.40
	The Americas Avg	0.36
	World Avg	0.34
q=166.

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Total Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
58=	N. Korea	1946
58=	Liberia	1946
58=	Romania	1946
58=	Panama	1946
58=	Cameroon	1946
58=	Macedonia	1946
58=	Venezuela	1946
58=	Guatemala	1946
	The Americas Avg	1947
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Prejudice:

Anti-Semite Opinions Lower is better29
Pos.		2014 %29
1	Laos	0
2	Philippines	3
3	Sweden	4
	...
76=	Mauritius	44
77	Poland	45
78	Indonesia	48
79	Panama	52
80=	Senegal	53
80=	S. Korea	53
82	Iran	56
83	Armenia	58
	The Americas Avg	29.7
	World Avg	36.8
q=101.

LGBT Equality Higher is better30
Pos.		2017 Score30
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
	...
75=	Latvia	25
75=	Dominican Rep.	25
75=	Seychelles	25
75=	Panama	25
75=	Vietnam	25
75=	Nepal	25
75=	Cuba	25
82	Paraguay	20
	The Americas Avg	26.1
	World Avg	12.6
q=196.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better31
Pos.		202131
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
105	India	3.0
106=	Cambodia	3.0
106=	Finland	3.0
106=	Panama	3.0
109	Philippines	3.3
110=	Paraguay	3.3
110=	Singapore	3.3
110=	Vanuatu	3.3
	The Americas Avg	2.7
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Panama's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #panama #parenting #population #smoking #suicide #vaccines

Compared to The Americas (2025)32
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank32
1	Greenland	34.3
2	Curaço	49.7
3	Aruba	49.9
	...
26	Colombia	94.5
27	Ecuador	95.3
28	Jamaica	95.4
29	Panama	95.6
30	St Lucia	96.0
31	Mexico	98.0
32	El Salvador	101.3
33	Peru	101.8
34	Guyana	106.7
	The Americas Avg	92.66
q=44.

Health (2025)32
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank32
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
111	Myanmar (Burma)	94.9
112	Ecuador	95.3
113	Jamaica	95.4
114	Panama	95.6
115	St Lucia	96.0
116	India	96.5
117	Fiji	96.7
118	Oman	97.7
	World Avg	96.74
q=212.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man₃₃. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, Angola and Nigeria₃₃.

21 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Balkans₃₃, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₃₃.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Health:

Panama does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Panama does better than average for its suicide rate₃₄, its fertility rate₁₆, its smoking rate₃₅, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₆ and in its average life expectancy₁₃. Panama doesn't do so well in other areas. Panama does worse than average in terms of its alcohol consumption rate₃₇, its immunizations take-up₃₈ and in its adolescent birth rate₃₉. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the past 40 years. Life expectancy in Panama improved by +6.7yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs. Panama's peak fertility rate was 5.87 in 1962.

Life Expectancy Higher is better13
Pos.		2021 Years13
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
52	Sri Lanka	76.4
53	Algeria	76.4
54	Montenegro	76.3
55	Panama	76.2
56	Turkey	76.0
57	Uruguay	75.4
58	Argentina	75.4
59	Bosnia & Herzegovina	75.3
	The Americas Avg	72.58
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better37
Pos.		2016 Per Capita37
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
114	Kazakhstan	7.7
115=	Congo, (Brazzaville)	7.8
115=	Brazil	7.8
117	Panama	7.9
118=	Japan	8.0
118=	Montenegro	8.0
120	Malta	8.1
121=	Macedonia	8.1
	The Americas Avg	6.9
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best16
Pos.		202216
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
37	Brunei	1.76
38	Dominican Rep.	2.25
39	Nicaragua	2.28
40	Panama	2.30
41	Morocco	2.30
42	Ireland	1.70
43	Colombia	1.69
44	French Polynesia	1.69
	The Americas Avg	1.80
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking Rates Lower is better35
Pos.		201435
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
45	Madagascar	206
46	Burkina Faso	213
47	Maldives	215
48	Panama	224
49	Grenada	224
50	St Lucia	232
51	Mali	236
52	Dominican Rep.	245
	The Americas Avg	457
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Suicide Rate34
Pos.		2013 Per 100k34
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
	...
30	Uzbekistan	9.3
31	Brazil	9.7
32	Colombia	9.9
33	Panama	10.9
34	Nicaragua	11.6
35	Costa Rica	12.1
36	Italy	12.8
37	Macedonia	13.5
	The Americas Avg	13.57
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
51	Israel	51
52	Slovakia	52
53	Bulgaria	53
54	Panama	54
55	Ukraine	55
56	S. Africa	56
57	Slovenia	57
58	Morocco	58
	The Americas Avg	94.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better40
Pos.		2016 %40
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
126=	Cuba	58.5
126=	Italy	58.5
128	Luxembourg	58.7
129	Panama	58.8
130	Suriname	58.9
131	Colombia	59.0
132=	Cyprus	59.1
132=	Iceland	59.1
	The Americas Avg	57.4
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better39
Pos.		2022 Per 100039
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
152	Guyana	64.6
153	Ethiopia	66.5
154	Swaziland	68.4
155	Panama	68.5
156	Paraguay	69.9
157	Nauru	71.1
158	Honduras	71.3
159	Laos	71.8
	The Americas Avg	48.1
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better38
Pos.		2015 Avg %38
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
137	Cambodia	86.5
138	Namibia	86.5
139	Dominican Rep.	86.3
140	Panama	86.1
141	Belarus	85.3
142=	Canada	85.2
142=	Guatemala	85.2
144	Togo	84.3
	The Americas Avg	91.3
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Panama's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to The Americas (2025)41
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank41
1	Uruguay	43.2
2	Puerto Rico	47.1
3	Costa Rica	49.7
	...
15	Cuba	79.4
16	Nicaragua	80.5
17	Bolivia	81.8
18	Panama	82.5
19	Honduras	84.6
20	Venezuela	86.1
21	Canada	87.2
22	Guyana	87.4
23	Jamaica	88.6
	The Americas Avg	92.66
q=36.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)41
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank41
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
95	UAE	81.8
96	Bolivia	81.8
97	Slovenia	82.1
98	Panama	82.5
99	Singapore	83.3
100	Georgia	83.6
101	Sierra Leone	83.6
102	Guinea-Bissau	83.7
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

• " Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Panama comes 98th in the world regarding its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is calculated from 6 data sets. Panama comes in the best 20 for its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment and in the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₂. It does better than average in terms of its environmental performance₄₃. Panama does not succeed in everything, however. Panama does worse than average in energy to GDP efficiency₄₄, reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₅ and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₆.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better46
Pos.		Total46
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
172	Zambia	-4.8%
173	Laos	-4.8%
174	Zimbabwe	-5.1%
175	Panama	-5.2%
176	Samoa	-5.7%
177	Eritrea	-5.7%
178	Colombia	-5.8%
179	Cameroon	-5.9%
	The Americas Avg	-2.1%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better43
Pos.		201843
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
53	Brunei	63.6
54	Morocco	63.5
55	Cuba	63.4
56	Panama	62.7
57	Tonga	62.5
58	Tunisia	62.4
59	Azerbaijan	62.3
60	S. Korea	62.3
	The Americas Avg	58.8
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better44
Pos.		2022 Avg44
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
119	Finland	1.44
120	Qatar	1.46
121	Belgium	1.49
122	Panama	1.49
123	Uzbekistan	1.52
124	Malaysia	1.53
125	Vietnam	1.55
126	Estonia	1.56
	The Americas Avg	1.42
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
14	Australia	74%
15	Uruguay	74%
16	Macedonia	74%
17	Panama	74%
18	Denmark	73%
19	Ecuador	72%
20	Armenia	72%
21	Montenegro	72%
	The Americas Avg	60.7%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Panama was one of the 19 countries that signed the Basel Convention on its very first day and one of the early adopters of the Kyoto Protocol in 1999. It also enacted the Rotterdam Convention on obtaining prior consent for transporting certain hazardous chemicals in 2000, whilst most others delayed it until subsequent years.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better42
Pos.		2011 %42
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
15	El Salvador	66.8%
16	Indonesia	66.5%
17	Japan	64.7%
18	Panama	64.6%
19	Peru	63.9%
20	Chile	63.8%
21	Ivory Coast	63.7%
22	Madagascar	62.8%
	The Americas Avg	58.6%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better45
Pos.		2021 kg45
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
154=	Iceland	83.6
154=	Lithuania	83.6
156	UAE	84.3
157	Panama	85.0
158	Luxembourg	85.8
159	Antigua & Barbuda	85.8
160	France	86.1
161	Barbados	86.4
	The Americas Avg	70.3
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

7. Panama's Modernity and Learning

#brazil #capitalism #charity #corruption #economics #education #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #intelligence #life_expectancy #modernity #morals #panama #peace #politics #religion #religiosity #religious_violence #research #science #secularisation #social_development #technology #terrorism #the_internet

Compared to The Americas (2020)47
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank47
1=	Canada	21.8
2	USA	26.4
3	Argentina	38.2
	...
21	Dominica	84.0
22	St Lucia	86.3
23=	Dominican Rep.	87.1
23=	Panama	87.1
25	Venezuela	89.0
26	Belize	89.1
27	Jamaica	94.6
28	Paraguay	103.1
29	Suriname	106.6
	The Americas Avg	81.34
q=35.

Modernity & Learning (2020)47
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank47
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
100	Jordan	86.1
101	St Lucia	86.3
102=	Dominican Rep.	87.1
102=	Panama	87.1
104	Andorra	87.1
105	India	87.8
106	Venezuela	89.0
107	Belize	89.1
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Belgium and Denmark₄₈. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₄₈. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₉.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”

Bill Emmott (2017)₅₀

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₈, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₈.

For more, see:

• " Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Modernity and Education:

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.2951
2	Israel	4.1151
3	Japan	3.5851
	...
91	Azerbaijan	0.2152
92	Burkina Faso	0.2053
93	Vietnam	0.1954
94=	Panama	0.1854
94=	Mauritius	0.1855
96	Oman	0.1752
97=	Kazakhstan	0.1752
98	Bolivia	0.1653
	The Americas Avg	0.47
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better56
Pos.		201856
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
72	Philippines	73.2%
73	Saudi Arabia	72.8%
74	Andorra	72.3%
75	Panama	72.2%
76	UAE	70.7%
77	Brunei	70.1%
78	Iran	69.8%
79	Vietnam	69.4%
	The Americas Avg	63.0%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better57
Pos.		2021 Years57
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
105	Philippines	13.1
106	Armenia	13.1
107	Cameroon	13.1
108	Panama	13.1
109	Suriname	13.0
110	Belize	13.0
111	Paraguay	13.0
112	Gabon	13.0
	The Americas Avg	14.2
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
96	Guinea	96
97	St Vincent & Grenadines	97
98	Zimbabwe	98
99	Panama	99
100	Laos	100
101	Cameroon	101
102	Peru	102
103	Cape Verde	103
	The Americas Avg	99.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Religiosity Lower is better58
Pos.		2018 %58
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
53=	Greece	56
53=	Paraguay	56
55	Lebanon	57
56	Panama	61
57	Venezuela	67
58	Turkey	68
59=	Bolivia	71
59=	Botswana	71
	The Americas Avg	65.4
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better59
Pos.		200659
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
80=	UAE	84
80=	Iran	84
80=	Pakistan	84
80=	Panama	84
80=	Paraguay	84
80=	Morocco	84
80=	Saudi Arabia	84
87	Algeria	83
	The Americas Avg	85.3
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better60
Pos.		201660
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
105	Tonga	47%
106	Nigeria	46%
107	Jordan	46%
108	Panama	45%
109	Mexico	45%
110=	Kenya	45%
110=	Belize	45%
112	Ukraine	44%
	The Americas Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better61
Pos.		2017 Ratio61
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
73	Vanuatu	0.1
74=	Iran	0.1
74=	Zambia	0.1
76	Panama	0.1
77=	Croatia	0.1
77=	Costa Rica	0.1
77=	Serbia	0.1
80	Liechtenstein	0.0
	The Americas Avg	3.36
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Digital Quality of Life Higher is better62
Pos.		202462
1	Germany	77.9%
2	Finland	76.9%
3	France	73.9%
	...
77	Mauritius	42.9%
78	Jordan	42.6%
79	Egypt	42.5%
80	Panama	41.6%
81	Paraguay	41.2%
82	Tunisia	40.4%
83	Bangladesh	40.3%
84	Kyrgyzstan	39.5%
	The Americas Avg	44.7%
	World Avg	48.4%
q=121.

National Culture:

World Giving Index Higher is better63
Pos.		2022 %63
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
83=	Israel	37.0
83=	Mauritius	37.0
83=	Lithuania	37.0
86	Panama	36.0
87=	El Salvador	36.0
87=	Saudi Arabia	36.0
89	S. Africa	35.0
90=	Ivory Coast	35.0
	The Americas Avg	43.7
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better64
Pos.		2022 Points64
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
102	Peru	36.0
103=	Turkey	36.0
103=	Sri Lanka	36.0
103=	Panama	36.0
103=	Albania	36.0
103=	Ecuador	36.0
103=	Kazakhstan	36.0
103=	Thailand	36.0
	The Americas Avg	42.97
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness Higher is better65
Pos.		2024 Score65
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
38	Spain	6.5
39	Estonia	6.4
40	Italy	6.4
41	Panama	6.4
42	Argentina	6.4
43	Kazakhstan	6.4
44	Guatemala	6.4
45	Chile	6.4
	The Americas Avg	6.31
	World Avg	5.58
q=147.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
114	Qatar	114
115	Afghanistan	115
116	Ivory Coast	116
117	Panama	117
118	Colombia	118
119	Brazil	119
120	Honduras	120
121	Tanzania	121
	The Americas Avg	80.2
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
65	S. Korea	65
66	Benin	66
67	Lesotho	67
68	Panama	68
69	New Zealand	69
70	Tunisia	70
71	Montenegro	71
72	Ukraine	72
	The Americas Avg	100.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability:

Global Peace Index Lower is better66
Pos.		2023 Score66
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
65	Serbia	1.92
66	Armenia	1.93
67	France	1.94
68	Panama	1.94
69	Paraguay	1.94
70=	Liberia	1.95
70=	Trinidad & Tobago	1.95
70=	Kosovo	1.95
	The Americas Avg	2.13
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
107	Poland	107
108	Ukraine	108
109	Belgium	109
110	Panama	110
111	Equatorial Guinea	111
112	Botswana	112
113	Slovakia	113
114	Suriname	114
	The Americas Avg	82.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
24	Poland	24
25	S. Africa	25
26	Chile	26
27	Panama	27
28	Portugal	28
29	USA	29
30	Singapore	30
31	Greece	31
	The Americas Avg	91.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better67
Pos.		2019 Score67
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
16=	Uzbekistan	0.02
17	Qatar	0.03
18=	Iceland	0.03
19	Panama	0.04
20=	Guyana	0.04
21	UAE	0.05
22	Slovakia	0.06
23	Norway	0.08
	The Americas Avg	2.16
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty:

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better68
Pos.		201968
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
92	Ecuador	11.50
93=	N. Korea	11.50
94	Egypt	11.60
95=	Panama	12.00
95=	Palestine	12.00
97	Solomon Islands	12.10
98	Cape Verde	12.20
99	El Salvador	12.50
	The Americas Avg	12.03
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better69
Pos.		2023 %69
1	Slovakia	24.1%70
2	Slovenia	24.3%70
3	Belarus	24.4%71
	...
152	Costa Rica	46.7%72
153	Honduras	48.2%73
154	Guatemala	48.3%74
155=	Panama	48.9%72
155=	Congo, (Brazzaville)	48.9%75
157	Mozambique	50.3%73
158=	Zimbabwe	50.3%73
159	Angola	51.3%76
	The Americas Avg	44.0%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

Of the 63 countries measured in the 1980s, Panama's income inequality was on average the worst throughout that decade, except for Brazil. In addition, it has long maintained a status as a tax haven_1,77, depriving countries around the world of billions in tax income₉.

8. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #religiosity #secularisation

Religiosity (2018)58
Pos.		Lower is better %58
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
53=	Greece	56
53=	Paraguay	56
55	Lebanon	57
56	Panama	61
57	Venezuela	67
58	Turkey	68
59=	Bolivia	71
59=	Botswana	71
61	Brazil	72
62=	Egypt	72
63	Algeria	73
64=	Peru	73
65	S. Africa	75
66=	Ecuador	76
66=	Costa Rica	76
68	Puerto Rico	77
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Disbelief In God (2007)78
Pos.		Higher is better %78
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
83=	Peru	1
83=	Guatemala	1
83=	El Salvador	1
83=	Panama	1
87	Somalia	0
88=	Sri Lanka	0
88=	Burundi	0
88=	Burkina Faso	0
88=	Brunei	0
88=	Botswana	0
88=	Syria	0
88=	Sierra Leone	0
88=	Thailand	0
88=	Togo	0
88=	Benin	0
88=	Tunisia	0
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₇₉:

Christian	93%
Muslim	0.7%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.2%
Folk Religion	0.4%
Jewish	0.4%
Unaffiliated	4.8%

It appears that when asked "What religion are you" many give pollsters the 'correct' answer despite how they actually feel, and despite what they actually believe. Although 94.8% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 61% say that they are religious when the question is phrased as "Is religion an important part of your daily life?".

For more on this phenomenon, see:

• "Institutionalized Religions Have Their Numbers Inflated by National Polls" by Vexen Crabtree (2009)

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states simply: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15%₈₀.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?