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

Health

see 4.5 times more spent on your healthcare

Indonesia spends $417 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Palau spends $1,857 as of 2023.

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have 3.5 times more doctors per person

Indonesia has 5.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Palau has 18.1 as of 2023.

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have 18.2% more access to essential health services

Indonesia scores 55 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Palau scores 65 as of 2021.

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live 1.9 years less

In Indonesia, the average life expectancy is 71 years (69 years for men, 73 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 3.4 times more likely to be obese

In Indonesia, 11.8% 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 3.9 times more money

Indonesia has a GDP per capita of $5,060 as of 2025, while in Palau, the GDP per capita is $19,532 as of 2025.

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Life

be 36.4% less likely to die during childbirth

In Indonesia, approximately 140.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Palau, 89.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 22.4% more likely to die during infancy

In Indonesia, approximately 15.2 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 32.2% fewer children

In Indonesia, there are approximately 15.8 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 15.3% more likely to have internet access

In Indonesia, approximately 72.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Palau, about 83.9% do as of 2024.

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be 11.8% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Indonesia, approximately 89% of people have access to drinking water (95% in urban areas, and 80% 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.

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Expenditures

spend 2.7 times more on education

Indonesia spends 1.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Palau spends 3.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 4.0 times more on healthcare

Indonesia spends 2.7% 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 97.2% less coastline

Indonesia has a total of 54,716 km of coastline. In Palau, that number is 1,519 km.

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Safety

be 96.5% more likely to die in a road accident

In Indonesia, road accidents kill 11.3 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 49.0% more home broadband

Indonesia has 4.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Palau has 7.3 as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 28.9 times more CO2

Indonesia emits 2.9 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 (2023–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. 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 Indonesia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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