Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Palau instead of Marshall Islands, you would:
Health
live 2.3 years longer
In Marshall Islands, the average life expectancy is 67 years (65 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024. In Palau, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
see 2.1 times more spent on your healthcare
Marshall Islands spends $874 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Palau spends $1,857 as of 2023.
have 10.2% more access to essential health services
Marshall Islands scores 59 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Palau scores 65 as of 2021.
Economy
make 2.3 times more money
Marshall Islands has a GDP per capita of $8,489 as of 2025, while in Palau, the GDP per capita is $19,532 as of 2025.
Life
be 42.6% less likely to die during childbirth
In Marshall Islands, approximately 155.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Palau, 89.0 women do as of 2023.
be 18.1% less likely to die during infancy
In Marshall Islands, approximately 22.7 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 46.8% fewer children
In Marshall Islands, there are approximately 20.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Palau, there are 10.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 27.3% more likely to have internet access
In Marshall Islands, approximately 65.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Palau, about 83.9% do as of 2024.
be 13.8% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Marshall Islands, approximately 87% of people have access to drinking water (86% in urban areas, and 94% 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.
Expenditures
spend 55.3% less on education
Marshall Islands spends 7.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Palau spends 3.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 19.1% less on healthcare
Marshall Islands spends 13.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Palau, that number is 10.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 4.1 times more coastline
Marshall Islands has a total of 370 km of coastline. In Palau, that number is 1,519 km.
Safety
be 86.6% more likely to die in a road accident
In Marshall Islands, road accidents kill 11.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Palau, they kill 22.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 3.1 times more home broadband
Marshall Islands has 2.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Palau has 7.3 as of 2023.
Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Marshall Islands vs. Palau
Palau: At a glance
How big is Palau compared to Marshall Islands? See an in-depth size comparison.