If you lived in Palau instead of Belize, you would:

Health

see 3.2 times more spent on your healthcare

Belize spends $573 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Palau spends $1,857 as of 2023.

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live 4.4 years less

In Belize, the average life expectancy is 74 years (71 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024. In Palau, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

make 2.5 times more money

Belize has a GDP per capita of $7,865 as of 2025, while in Palau, the GDP per capita is $19,532 as of 2025.

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Life

be 13.6% more likely to be literate

In Belize, the literacy rate is 87.9% as of 2022. In Palau, it is 99.8% as of 2020.

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be 32.8% more likely to die during childbirth

In Belize, approximately 67.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Palau, 89.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 72.2% more likely to die during infancy

In Belize, approximately 10.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Palau, on the other hand, 18.6 children do as of 2024.

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have 40.8% fewer children

In Belize, there are approximately 18.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Palau, there are 10.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 25.5% less on education

Belize spends 4.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Palau spends 3.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 2.6 times more on healthcare

Belize spends 4.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Palau, that number is 10.8% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 3.9 times more coastline

Belize has a total of 386 km of coastline. In Palau, that number is 1,519 km.

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Safety

be 26.9% more likely to die in a road accident

In Belize, road accidents kill 17.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Palau, they kill 22.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 24.8% less home broadband

Belize has 9.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Palau has 7.3 as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 89.1 times more CO2

Belize emits 0.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Palau emits 82.8 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this

Palau: At a glance

Palau is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 459 sq km. After three decades as part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific under US administration, this westernmost cluster of the Caroline Islands opted for independence in 1978 rather than join the Federated States of Micronesia. A Compact of Free Association with the US was approved in 1986 but not ratified until 1993. It entered into force the following year when the islands gained independence.
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How big is Palau compared to Belize? See an in-depth size comparison.

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