Panama vs United States of America: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income

Panama
23.2%
in 2024
United States of America
18.9%
in 2024
Panama rank
2nd
United States of America rank
1st

Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income over time

  • Panama
  • United States of America
0102030196319932024

How they compare

Panama currently reports 23.2% against 18.9% in United States of America, a difference of 4.3%.

That makes Panama's figure about 1.2 times United States of America's.

Across all 30 years both countries report, Panama has been ahead every year.

Panama ranks 2nd and United States of America ranks 1st of 130 countries.

Panama has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Panama United States of America Difference Ahead
1970s 23.7% 15.4% 8.3% Panama
1980s 30.2% 17.9% 12.3% Panama
1990s 27.3% 17.9% 9.4% Panama
2000s 25.4% 17.8% 7.6% Panama
2010s 23.0% 17.9% 5.1% Panama
2020s 22.2% 17.6% 4.6% Panama

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income, Panama or United States of America?
Panama, at 23.2% against 18.9% in United States of America as of 2024.
What is the difference in proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income between Panama and United States of America?
4.3%, with Panama ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Panama and United States of America?
30 years are reported by both, from 1979 to 2024.
How do Panama and United States of America rank globally for proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income?
Panama ranks 2nd and United States of America ranks 1st of 130 countries.
Where does this data come from?
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Panama vs United States of America: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 19 September 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/compare/proportion-of-people-living-below-50-percent-of-median-income-percent-2/panama/united-states-of-america/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
131 places, 2,510 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed