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

Health

live 9.0 years less

In Iceland, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022. In Palau, that number is 75 years (71 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022.

be 2.5 times more likely to be obese

In Iceland, 21.9% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Palau, that number is 55.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 55.1% less likely to be unemployed

In Iceland, 3.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Palau, that number is 1.7% as of 2015.

make 74.6% less money

Iceland has a GDP per capita of $55,600 as of 2022, while in Palau, the GDP per capita is $14,100 as of 2021.

be 2.8 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Iceland, 8.8% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Palau, however, that number is 24.9% as of 2006.

Life

be 6.8 times more likely to die during infancy

In Iceland, approximately 1.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Palau, on the other hand, 11.3 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 62.8% less likely to have internet access

In Iceland, approximately 100.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Palau, about 37.2% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 11.7% less on education

Iceland spends 7.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Palau spends 6.8% of total GDP on education as of 2019.

spend 91.7% more on healthcare

Iceland spends 9.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Palau, that number is 18.4% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 69.4% less coastline

Iceland has a total of 4,970 km of coastline. In Palau, that number is 1,519 km.


The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

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 Iceland? See an in-depth size comparison.

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