Travel safety comparison · Latin America & the Caribbean
Nicaragua vs Panama: safety comparison
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Side-by-side safety comparison of Nicaragua and Panama for 2026: risk scores, FCDO and US State Department advisories, drug law, women's safety, LGBTQ+ legal status, and the practical decision between the two.
Panama carries a materially lower safety risk than Nicaragua on the composite Warnely score: 34/100 against 57/100, a gap of 23 points. The biggest single category gap is in crime, where Panama scores 2/5 against Nicaragua's 3/5. The US State Department currently carries a Level 3 advisory on Nicaragua and a Level 2 on Panama. Drug law diverges sharply: Nicaragua carries a tier-severe regime against Panama's more permissive framework.
| 🇳🇮Nicaragua | 🇵🇦Panama | |
|---|---|---|
| Warnely composite (0–100, lower is safer) | 57 / 100 | 34 / 100 |
| Risk tier | High Risk | Exercise Normal Caution |
| UK FCDO advisory | No active advisory | No active advisory |
| US State Department advisory | Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) | Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution) |
| Global Peace Index rank | #111 | #84 |
| Drug law | Severe (long sentences) | Strict |
| Women's safety rating | Exercise Caution | Exercise Caution |
| LGBTQ+ legal status | legal | legal |
| Tap water | n/a | n/a |
| Currency | NIO | USD |