Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Palau instead of French Polynesia, you would:
Health
be 17.6% less likely to be obese
In French Polynesia, 49.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Palau, that number is 40.5% of people as of 2024.
live 14.8 years less
In French Polynesia, the average life expectancy is 84 years (82 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Palau, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
Economy
be 26.4% more likely to live below the poverty line
In French Polynesia, 19.7% live below the poverty line as of 2009. In Palau, however, that number is 24.9% as of 2006.
make 13.0% less money
French Polynesia has a GDP per capita of $22,440 as of 2024, while in Palau, the GDP per capita is $19,532 as of 2025.
Life
be 4.2 times more likely to die during infancy
In French Polynesia, approximately 4.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Palau, on the other hand, 18.6 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 15.4% more likely to have internet access
In French Polynesia, approximately 72.7% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Palau, about 83.9% do as of 2024.
Geography
see 39.8% less coastline
French Polynesia has a total of 2,525 km of coastline. In Palau, that number is 1,519 km.
Infrastructure
find 79.4% less home broadband
French Polynesia has 35.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Palau has 7.3 as of 2023.
Environment
emit 23.9 times more CO2
French Polynesia emits 3.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Palau emits 82.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2023–2025), The World Factbook (2006–2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: French Polynesia vs. Palau
Palau: At a glance
How big is Palau compared to French Polynesia? See an in-depth size comparison.