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

Health

be 44.0% less likely to be obese

In Palau, 40.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Gabon, that number is 22.7% of people as of 2024.

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live 0.9 years less

In Palau, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Gabon, that number is 69 years (66 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 63.8% less spent on your healthcare

Palau spends $1,857 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Gabon spends $673 as of 2023.

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have 71.2% fewer doctors per person

Palau has 18.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Gabon has 5.2 as of 2022.

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have 24.6% less access to essential health services

Palau scores 65 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Gabon scores 49 as of 2021.

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Economy

make 57.7% less money

Palau has a GDP per capita of $19,532 as of 2025, while in Gabon, the GDP per capita is $8,263 as of 2025.

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Life

have 2.5 times more children

In Palau, there are approximately 10.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Gabon, there are 27.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 2.6 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 Gabon, 233.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 11.0% less likely to be literate

In Palau, the literacy rate is 99.8% as of 2020. In Gabon, it is 88.9% as of 2021.

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be 39.2% 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 Gabon, on the other hand, 25.9 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 18.1% less likely to have internet access

In Palau, approximately 83.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Gabon, about 68.7% do as of 2024.

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be 11.0% 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 Gabon, that number is 89% of people on average (92% in urban areas, and 49% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 32.6% less on education

Palau spends 3.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Gabon spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 71.2% less on healthcare

Palau spends 10.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Gabon, that number is 3.1% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 41.7% less coastline

Palau has a total of 1,519 km of coastline. In Gabon, that number is 885 km.

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Safety

be 43.7% less likely to die in a road accident

In Palau, road accidents kill 22.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Gabon, they kill 12.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 36.0% less home broadband

Palau has 7.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Gabon has 4.7 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 97.5% less CO2

Palau emits 82.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Gabon emits 2.0 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Gabon: At a glance

Gabon is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 257,667 sq km. El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba - one of the longest-serving heads of state in the world - dominated the country's political scene for four decades (1967-2009) following independence from France in 1960. President BONGO introduced a nominal multiparty system and a new constitution in the early 1990s. However, allegations of electoral fraud during local elections in December 2002 and the presidential elections in 2005 exposed the weaknesses of formal political structures in Gabon. Following President BONGO's death in 2009, new elections brought Ali BONGO Ondimba, son of the former president, to power. Despite constrained political conditions, Gabon's small population, abundant natural resources, and considerable foreign support have helped make it one of the more stable African countries.
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How big is Gabon compared to Palau? See an in-depth size comparison.

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