Life Expectancy in Panama (2024): Men 76.9, Women 82.7

Life expectancy in Panama since 1960

Women
Men

Since 1960, life expectancy in Panama has risen by 19.5 years, from 60.3 to 79.8. During the COVID-19 pandemic it fell by 2.2 years (from 78.5 in 2019 to 76.3 in 2020) and has since recovered. Women live 5.8 years longer than men (82.7 vs 76.9).

Expected age at death in Panama by age

Life expectancy at birth includes deaths in childhood. Once people reach adulthood they can expect to live longer — here is the average expected age at death for people who have already reached each age:

Current age	Birth	20	40	60	80
Men	76.9	78.6	79.4	81.3	87.5
Women	82.7	84.5	85.3	86.6	91.0

Birth: World Bank. Other ages: our survival model calibrated to Panama’s figures (method).

How people die in Panama

Chronic diseases: 79.2%
Infections, maternal & nutritional: 12.6%
Injuries: 8.1%

In 2019, 79% of deaths in Panama were caused by chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes (world: 74%). A Panama man has a 13% chance and a woman 9% of dying of one of these diseases between the ages of 30 and 70 (world: 21% and 16%). Road traffic accidents kill 13.9 people per 100,000 each year (world: 16.7).

See which causes of death are most likely for you →

Child mortality

Out of every 1,000 babies born in Panama, about 15.3 die before their fifth birthday (world: 37.4). This is one of the main reasons life expectancy at birth differs so much between countries.

Panama compared with its region

Panama is in the World Bank’s Latin America & Caribbean region, where the average life expectancy is 75.5 years. It ranks #7 of 42 countries there.

#	Country	Overall	Men	Women
3	Costa Rica	81.0	78.4	83.6
4	U.S. Virgin Islands	80.8	77.6	84.1
5	Cayman Islands	80.5	78.2	83.0
6	Saint Martin	80.4	77.0	84.0
7	Panama	79.8	76.9	82.7
8	Cuba	78.3	75.9	80.7
9	Uruguay	78.3	74.4	82.0
10	Turks and Caicos Islands	78.2	76.0	80.4
11	Colombia	77.9	75.2	80.6

See all 217 countries ranked →

Frequently asked questions

What is the life expectancy in Panama?

79.8 years in 2024: 76.9 for men and 82.7 for women, according to the World Bank.

Do women live longer than men in Panama?

Yes. Women in Panama live about 5.8 years longer than men. Worldwide the gap is 4.9 years in favour of women.

How does Panama rank for life expectancy?

Panama ranks #55 out of 217 countries and territories with data. That is 6.3 years above the world average of 73.5.

What is the average age of death in Panama?

Life expectancy at birth (79.8) is pulled down by deaths in childhood. Adults live longer: a 40-year-old man in Panama can expect to live to about 79.4, and a 40-year-old woman to about 85.3.

Sources

World Bank, World Development Indicators: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.MA.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.FE.IN), under-5 mortality (SH.DYN.MORT), causes of death (SH.DTH.NCOM.ZS, SH.DTH.INJR.ZS), mortality from major chronic diseases (SH.DYN.NCOM.MA.ZS, SH.DYN.NCOM.FE.ZS) and road traffic deaths (SH.STA.TRAF.P5). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Link

Data updated October 25, 2026.