Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Palau instead of Iran, you would:
Health
see 74.5% more spent on your healthcare
Iran spends $1,064 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Palau spends $1,857 as of 2023.
live 8.5 years less
In Iran, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Palau, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
be 64.9% more likely to be obese
In Iran, 24.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Palau, that number is 40.5% of people as of 2024.
have 12.2% less access to essential health services
Iran scores 74 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Palau scores 65 as of 2021.
Economy
make 5.0 times more money
Iran has a GDP per capita of $3,924 as of 2025, while in Palau, the GDP per capita is $19,532 as of 2025.
be 33.2% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Iran, 18.7% live below the poverty line as of 2007. In Palau, however, that number is 24.9% as of 2006.
Life
be 12.3% more likely to be literate
In Iran, the literacy rate is 88.9% as of 2023. In Palau, it is 99.8% as of 2020.
be 5.6 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Iran, approximately 16.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Palau, 89.0 women do as of 2023.
be 80.6% more likely to die during infancy
In Iran, approximately 10.3 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.
have 15.0% fewer children
In Iran, there are approximately 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Palau, there are 10.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 22.0% more on education
Iran spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Palau spends 3.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 79.9% more on healthcare
Iran spends 6.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Palau, that number is 10.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 37.7% less coastline
Iran has a total of 2,440 km of coastline. In Palau, that number is 1,519 km.
Infrastructure
find 39.2% less home broadband
Iran has 12.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Palau has 7.3 as of 2023.
Environment
emit 9.2 times more CO2
Iran emits 9.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Palau emits 82.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), The World Factbook (2006–2007), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Iran vs. Palau
Palau: At a glance
How big is Palau compared to Iran? See an in-depth size comparison.