If you lived in Palau instead of Micronesia, Federated States of, you would:

Health

live 2.0 years longer

In Micronesia, Federated States of, the average life expectancy is 67 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Palau, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 16.7% less likely to be obese

In Micronesia, Federated States of, 48.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Palau, that number is 40.5% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

see 3.9 times more spent on your healthcare

Micronesia, Federated States of spends $482 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Palau spends $1,857 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

have 85.6% more doctors per person

Micronesia, Federated States of has 9.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. Palau has 18.1 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

have 35.4% more access to essential health services

Micronesia, Federated States of scores 48 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Palau scores 65 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Economy

make 4.4 times more money

Micronesia, Federated States of has a GDP per capita of $4,414 as of 2025, while in Palau, the GDP per capita is $19,532 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

be 31.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In Micronesia, Federated States of, approximately 129.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Palau, 89.0 women do as of 2023.

View global rankings →

have 52.1% fewer children

In Micronesia, Federated States of, there are approximately 22.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Palau, there are 10.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 15.1% more likely to have access to electricity

In Micronesia, Federated States of, approximately 87% of people have electricity access (97% in urban areas, and 84% 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.

View global rankings →

be 2.1 times more likely to have internet access

In Micronesia, Federated States of, approximately 39.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Palau, about 83.9% do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 70.2% less on education

Micronesia, Federated States of spends 11.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Palau spends 3.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

View global rankings →

spend 15.8% less on healthcare

Micronesia, Federated States of spends 12.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Palau, that number is 10.8% of GDP as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Geography

see 75.1% less coastline

Micronesia, Federated States of has a total of 6,112 km of coastline. In Palau, that number is 1,519 km.

View global rankings →

Safety

be 12.3 times more likely to be murdered

Micronesia, Federated States of has a homicide rate of 0.9 per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Palau, that number is 11.2 per 100,000 as of 2018.

View global rankings →

be 57.4% more likely to die in a road accident

In Micronesia, Federated States of, road accidents kill 14.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Palau, they kill 22.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 25.9% more home broadband

Micronesia, Federated States of has 5.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Palau has 7.3 as of 2023.

View global rankings →


Sources: World Bank (2018–2025), 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.
Read more

How big is Palau compared to Micronesia, Federated States of? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Palau or Micronesia, Federated States of. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.