If you lived in Bosnia and Herzegovina instead of Palau, you would:

Health

live 8.7 years longer

In Palau, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 48.2% less likely to be obese

In Palau, 40.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, that number is 21.0% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Economy

make 46.8% less money

Palau has a GDP per capita of $19,532 as of 2025, while in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the GDP per capita is $10,382 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

be 93.3% less likely to die during childbirth

In Palau, approximately 89.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, 6.0 women do as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 70.4% less likely to die during infancy

In Palau, approximately 18.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the other hand, 5.5 children do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

have 27.8% fewer children

In Palau, there are approximately 10.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, there are 7.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 17.8% less on healthcare

Palau spends 10.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Geography

see 98.7% less coastline

Palau has a total of 1,519 km of coastline. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, that number is 20 km.

View global rankings →

Safety

be 38.3% less likely to die in a road accident

In Palau, road accidents kill 22.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, they kill 13.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 4.0 times more home broadband

Palau has 7.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Bosnia and Herzegovina has 29.4 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Environment

emit 92.2% less CO2

Palau emits 82.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Bosnia and Herzegovina emits 6.5 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →


Sources: World Bank (2023–2025), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this

Bosnia and Herzegovina: At a glance

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 51,187 sq km. Bosnia and Herzegovina declared sovereignty in October 1991 and independence from the former Yugoslavia on 3 March 1992 after a referendum boycotted by ethnic Serbs. The Bosnian Serbs - supported by neighboring Serbia and Montenegro - responded with armed resistance aimed at partitioning the republic along ethnic lines and joining Serb-held areas to form a "Greater Serbia." In March 1994, Bosniaks and Croats reduced the number of warring factions from three to two by signing an agreement creating a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On 21 November 1995, in Dayton, Ohio, the warring parties initialed a peace agreement that ended three years of interethnic civil strife (the final agreement was signed in Paris on 14 December 1995). The Dayton Peace Accords retained Bosnia and Herzegovina's international boundaries and created a multi-ethnic and democratic government charged with conducting foreign, diplomatic, and fiscal policy. Also recognized was a second tier of government composed of two entities roughly equal in size: the Bosniak/Bosnian Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska (RS). The Federation and RS governments are responsible for overseeing most government functions. Additionally, the Dayton Accords established the Office of the High Representative (OHR) to oversee the implementation of the civilian aspects of the agreement. The Peace Implementation Council (PIC) at its conference in Bonn in 1997 also gave the High Representative the authority to impose legislation and remove officials, the so-called "Bonn Powers." An original NATO-led international peacekeeping force (IFOR) of 60,000 troops assembled in 1995 was succeeded over time by a smaller, NATO-led Stabilization Force (SFOR). In 2004, European Union peacekeeping troops (EUFOR) replaced SFOR. Currently EUFOR deploys around 600 troops in theater in a policing capacity.
Read more

How big is Bosnia and Herzegovina compared to Palau? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

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