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

Health

see 2.7 times more spent on your healthcare

Nicaragua spends $689 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Palau spends $1,857 as of 2023.

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live 5.7 years less

In Nicaragua, the average life expectancy is 75 years (72 years for men, 78 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 16.1% more likely to be obese

In Nicaragua, 34.9% 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 6.2 times more money

Nicaragua has a GDP per capita of $3,173 as of 2025, while in Palau, the GDP per capita is $19,532 as of 2025.

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Life

be 48.3% more likely to die during childbirth

In Nicaragua, approximately 60.0 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 97.9% more likely to die during infancy

In Nicaragua, approximately 9.4 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 44.1% fewer children

In Nicaragua, there are approximately 19.1 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 13.3% more likely to have access to electricity

In Nicaragua, approximately 88% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 71% 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 36.7% more likely to have internet access

In Nicaragua, approximately 61.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Palau, about 83.9% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 19.9% more on education

Nicaragua spends 2.9% 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 30.7% more on healthcare

Nicaragua spends 8.3% 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 66.9% more coastline

Nicaragua has a total of 910 km of coastline. In Palau, that number is 1,519 km.

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Safety

be 63.2% more likely to die in a road accident

In Nicaragua, road accidents kill 13.6 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 26.8% more home broadband

Nicaragua has 5.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Palau has 7.3 as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 99.8 times more CO2

Nicaragua emits 0.8 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), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). 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 Nicaragua? See an in-depth size comparison.

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