Costa Rica vs Panama: Life expectancy at birth
Costa Rica
81.19
in 2025
Panama
79.96
in 2025
Costa Rica rank
2nd
Panama rank
3rd
Life expectancy at birth over time
- Costa Rica
- Panama
How they compare
Costa Rica currently reports 81.19 against 79.96 in Panama, a difference of 1.23.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 76 shared years of data; in 1950 it was Costa Rica ahead.
Costa Rica ranks 2nd and Panama ranks 3rd of 36 countries.
Costa Rica has averaged higher in every one of the 8 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | Panama | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 60.07 | 57.39 | 2.68 | Costa Rica |
| 1960s | 64.79 | 62.13 | 2.66 | Costa Rica |
| 1970s | 69.77 | 66.73 | 3.04 | Costa Rica |
| 1980s | 74.55 | 70.28 | 4.27 | Costa Rica |
| 1990s | 76.48 | 72.04 | 4.43 | Costa Rica |
| 2000s | 78.52 | 74.93 | 3.59 | Costa Rica |
| 2010s | 80.01 | 77.45 | 2.56 | Costa Rica |
| 2020s | 80.01 | 78.66 | 1.35 | Costa Rica |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher life expectancy at birth, Costa Rica or Panama?
- Costa Rica, at 81.19 against 79.96 in Panama as of 2025.
- What is the difference in life expectancy at birth between Costa Rica and Panama?
- 1.23, with Costa Rica ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and Panama?
- 76 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2025.
- How do Costa Rica and Panama rank globally for life expectancy at birth?
- Costa Rica ranks 2nd and Panama ranks 3rd of 36 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNICEF, published as Life expectancy at birth. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.