Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Palau instead of Democratic Republic of the Congo, you would:
Health
live 7.3 years longer
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, the average life expectancy is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2024. In Palau, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
see 32.1 times more spent on your healthcare
Democratic Republic of the Congo spends $58 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Palau spends $1,857 as of 2023.
have 8.7 times more doctors per person
Democratic Republic of the Congo has 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Palau has 18.1 as of 2023.
have 54.8% more access to essential health services
Democratic Republic of the Congo scores 42 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Palau scores 65 as of 2021.
be 6.1 times more likely to be obese
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 6.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Palau, that number is 40.5% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 24.2 times more money
Democratic Republic of the Congo has a GDP per capita of $807 as of 2025, while in Palau, the GDP per capita is $19,532 as of 2025.
Life
be 79.2% less likely to die during childbirth
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 427.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Palau, 89.0 women do as of 2023.
be 45.8% more likely to be literate
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, the literacy rate is 68.5% as of 2023. In Palau, it is 99.8% as of 2020.
be 67.0% less likely to die during infancy
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 56.4 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 73.9% fewer children
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, there are approximately 40.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Palau, there are 10.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 4.5 times more likely to have access to electricity
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 22% of people have electricity access (56% in urban areas, and 1% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Palau, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 4.3 times more likely to have internet access
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 19.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Palau, about 83.9% do as of 2024.
be 2.8 times more likely to have access to drinking water
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 36% of people have access to drinking water (59% in urban areas, and 14% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Palau, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 21.1% more on education
Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Palau spends 3.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 2.9 times more on healthcare
Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 3.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Palau, that number is 10.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 41.1 times more coastline
Democratic Republic of the Congo has a total of 37 km of coastline. In Palau, that number is 1,519 km.
Safety
be 36.2% more likely to die in a road accident
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, road accidents kill 16.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Palau, they kill 22.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 244.3 times more home broadband
Democratic Republic of the Congo has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Palau has 7.3 as of 2023.
Environment
emit 1380.7 times more CO2
Democratic Republic of the Congo emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Palau emits 82.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Democratic Republic of the Congo vs. Palau
MORE COMPARISONS
Palau: At a glance
How big is Palau compared to Democratic Republic of the Congo? See an in-depth size comparison.