Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 79.9% less likely to be obese

In Palau, 40.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Burma, that number is 8.1% of people as of 2024.

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live 2.3 years less

In Palau, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Burma, that number is 67 years (64 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 84.7% less spent on your healthcare

Palau spends $1,857 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Burma spends $283 as of 2023.

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have 20.0% less access to essential health services

Palau scores 65 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Burma scores 52 as of 2021.

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Economy

make 92.4% less money

Palau has a GDP per capita of $19,532 as of 2025, while in Burma, the GDP per capita is $1,489 as of 2025.

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Life

have 54.0% more children

In Palau, there are approximately 10.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Burma, there are 16.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 2.1 times more 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 Burma, 185.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 76.3% more 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 Burma, on the other hand, 32.8 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 23.2% less likely to have access to electricity

In Palau, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Burma, that number is 77% of people on average (95% in urban areas, and 69% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 47.6% less likely to have internet access

In Palau, approximately 83.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Burma, about 44.0% do as of 2021.

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be 13.9% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Palau, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Burma, that number is 86% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 58.9% less on healthcare

Palau spends 10.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Burma, that number is 4.5% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 27.1% more coastline

Palau has a total of 1,519 km of coastline. In Burma, that number is 1,930 km.

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Safety

be 13.1% less likely to die in a road accident

In Palau, road accidents kill 22.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Burma, they kill 19.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 60.8% less home broadband

Palau has 7.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Burma has 2.9 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 99.3% less CO2

Palau emits 82.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Burma emits 0.6 tonnes as of 2024.

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

Compare further: Palau vs. Burma

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Burma is 45.6% cheaper than Palau overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
Palau is about 1,474 times smaller than Burma.
→

Burma: At a glance

Burma is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 653,508 sq km. Various ethnic Burmese and ethnic minority city-states or kingdoms occupied the present borders through the 19th century. Over a period of 62 years (1824-1886), Britain conquered Burma and incorporated the country into its Indian Empire. Burma was administered as a province of India until 1937 when it became a separate, self-governing colony; in 1948, Burma attained independence from the British Commonwealth. Gen. NE WIN dominated the government from 1962 to 1988, first as military ruler, then as self-appointed president, and later as political kingpin. In response to widespread civil unrest, NE WIN resigned in 1988, but within months the military crushed student-led protests and took power. Multiparty legislative elections in 1990 resulted in the main opposition party - the National League for Democracy (NLD) - winning a landslide victory. Instead of handing over power, the junta placed NLD leader (and Nobel Peace Prize recipient) AUNG SAN SUU KYI (ASSK) under house arrest from 1989 to 1995, 2000 to 2002, and from May 2003 to November 2010. In late September 2007, the ruling junta brutally suppressed protests over increased fuel prices led by prodemocracy activists and Buddhist monks, killing at least 13 people and arresting thousands for participating in the demonstrations. In early May 2008, Burma was struck by Cyclone Nargis, which left over 138,000 dead and tens of thousands injured and homeless. Despite this tragedy, the junta proceeded with its May constitutional referendum, the first vote in Burma since 1990. Parliamentary elections held in November 2010, considered flawed by many in the international community, saw the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party garner over 75% of the seats. Parliament convened in January 2011 and selected former Prime Minister THEIN SEIN as president. Although the vast majority of national-level appointees named by THEIN SEIN are former or current military officers, the government has initiated a series of political and economic reforms leading to a substantial opening of the long-isolated country. These reforms have included allowing ASSK to contest parliamentary by-elections on 1 April 2012, releasing hundreds of political prisoners, reaching preliminary peace agreements with 10 of the 11 major armed ethnic groups, enacting laws that provide better protections for basic human rights, and gradually reducing restrictions on freedom of the press, association, and civil society. At least due in part to these reforms, ASSK now serves as an elected Member of Parliament and chair of the Committee for Rule of Law and Tranquility. Most political parties have begun building their institutions in preparation for the next round of general elections in 2015. The country is the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for 2014.
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How big is Burma compared to Palau? See an in-depth size comparison.

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