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

Health

see 5.4 times more spent on your healthcare

India spends $346 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Palau spends $1,857 as of 2023.

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have 2.5 times more doctors per person

India has 7.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. Palau has 18.1 as of 2023.

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live 2.9 years less

In India, the average life expectancy is 72 years (71 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In Palau, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 5.1 times more likely to be obese

In India, 8.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Palau, that number is 40.5% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

make 7.2 times more money

India has a GDP per capita of $2,702 as of 2025, while in Palau, the GDP per capita is $19,532 as of 2025.

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Life

be 20.2% less likely to die during infancy

In India, approximately 23.3 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.

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have 33.1% fewer children

In India, there are approximately 16.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Palau, there are 10.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 19.9% more likely to have internet access

In India, approximately 70.0% of the population has internet access as of 2025. In Palau, about 83.9% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 16.1% less on education

India spends 4.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Palau spends 3.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 3.2 times more on healthcare

India spends 3.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Palau, that number is 10.8% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 78.3% less coastline

India has a total of 7,000 km of coastline. In Palau, that number is 1,519 km.

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Safety

be 44.2% more likely to die in a road accident

In India, road accidents kill 15.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Palau, they kill 22.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 2.3 times more home broadband

India has 3.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Palau has 7.3 as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 38.2 times more CO2

India emits 2.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Palau emits 82.8 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this

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 India? See an in-depth size comparison.

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