Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Palau instead of China, you would:
Health
see 24.9% more spent on your healthcare
China spends $1,487 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Palau spends $1,857 as of 2023.
live 8.6 years less
In China, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 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 4.4 times more likely to be obese
In China, 9.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Palau, that number is 40.5% of people as of 2024.
have 41.9% fewer doctors per person
China has 31.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Palau has 18.1 as of 2023.
have 19.8% less access to essential health services
China scores 81 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Palau scores 65 as of 2021.
Economy
make 40.9% more money
China has a GDP per capita of $13,862 as of 2025, while in Palau, the GDP per capita is $19,532 as of 2025.
Life
have 57.9% more children
In China, there are approximately 6.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Palau, there are 10.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 5.6 times more likely to die during childbirth
In China, approximately 16.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Palau, 89.0 women do as of 2023.
be 4.5 times more likely to die during infancy
In China, approximately 4.1 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.
Expenditures
spend 11.8% less on education
China spends 3.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Palau spends 3.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 82.7% more on healthcare
China spends 5.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Palau, that number is 10.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 89.5% less coastline
China has a total of 14,500 km of coastline. In Palau, that number is 1,519 km.
Safety
be 22.5 times more likely to be murdered
China has a homicide rate of 0.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Palau, that number is 11.2 per 100,000 as of 2018.
be 27.6% more likely to die in a road accident
In China, road accidents kill 17.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Palau, they kill 22.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 84.5% less home broadband
China has 47.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Palau has 7.3 as of 2023.
Environment
emit 8.9 times more CO2
China emits 9.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Palau emits 82.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2018–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: China vs. Palau
Palau: At a glance
How big is Palau compared to China? See an in-depth size comparison.