Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Palau instead of Bhutan, you would:
Health
see 2.7 times more spent on your healthcare
Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Palau spends $1,857 as of 2023.
have 3.3 times more doctors per person
Bhutan has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Palau has 18.1 as of 2023.
live 3.9 years less
In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Palau, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
be 3.1 times more likely to be obese
In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Palau, that number is 40.5% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 4.3 times more money
Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $4,493 as of 2025, while in Palau, the GDP per capita is $19,532 as of 2025.
Life
be 53.8% more likely to be literate
In Bhutan, the literacy rate is 64.9% as of 2022. In Palau, it is 99.8% as of 2020.
be 89.4% more likely to die during childbirth
In Bhutan, approximately 47.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Palau, 89.0 women do as of 2023.
be 35.8% more likely to die during infancy
In Bhutan, approximately 13.7 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.
have 14.7% fewer children
In Bhutan, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Palau, there are 10.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 41.2% less on education
Bhutan spends 5.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Palau spends 3.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 2.5 times more on healthcare
Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Palau, that number is 10.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 4.5 times more likely to be murdered
Bhutan has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Palau, that number is 11.2 per 100,000 as of 2018.
be 82.0% more likely to die in a road accident
In Bhutan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Palau, they kill 22.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2.5 times more home broadband
Bhutan has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Palau has 7.3 as of 2023.
Environment
emit 41.2 times more CO2
Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Palau emits 82.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2018–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bhutan vs. Palau
Palau: At a glance
How big is Palau compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.