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

Health

see 6.2 times more spent on your healthcare

Mauritania spends $302 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Palau spends $1,857 as of 2023.

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have 6.9 times more doctors per person

Mauritania has 2.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Palau has 18.1 as of 2023.

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have 62.5% more access to essential health services

Mauritania scores 40 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Palau scores 65 as of 2021.

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be 68.2% more likely to be obese

In Mauritania, 24.1% 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 8.9 times more money

Mauritania has a GDP per capita of $2,198 as of 2025, while in Palau, the GDP per capita is $19,532 as of 2025.

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Life

be 76.6% less likely to die during childbirth

In Mauritania, approximately 381.0 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 49.0% more likely to be literate

In Mauritania, the literacy rate is 67.0% as of 2021. In Palau, it is 99.8% as of 2020.

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be 38.4% less likely to die during infancy

In Mauritania, approximately 30.2 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 68.6% fewer children

In Mauritania, there are approximately 34.0 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 98.8% more likely to have access to electricity

In Mauritania, approximately 50% of people have electricity access (94% in urban areas, and 1% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Palau, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 83.3% more likely to have internet access

In Mauritania, approximately 45.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Palau, about 83.9% do as of 2024.

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be 28.8% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Mauritania, approximately 77% of people have access to drinking water (90% in urban areas, and 59% 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 54.8% less on education

Mauritania spends 7.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Palau spends 3.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 2.5 times more on healthcare

Mauritania spends 4.3% 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 2.0 times more coastline

Mauritania has a total of 754 km of coastline. In Palau, that number is 1,519 km.

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Safety

be 11.2 times more likely to be murdered

Mauritania has a homicide rate of 1.0 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Palau, that number is 11.2 per 100,000 as of 2018.

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be 2.3 times more likely to die in a road accident

In Mauritania, road accidents kill 9.5 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 7.7 times more home broadband

Mauritania has 0.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Palau has 7.3 as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 85.4 times more CO2

Mauritania emits 1.0 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 (2018–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024). 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 Mauritania? See an in-depth size comparison.

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