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

Health

live 0.9 years longer

In Palau, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Guyana, that number is 70 years (67 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 25.6% less likely to be obese

In Palau, 40.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Guyana, that number is 30.1% of people as of 2024.

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have 16.9% more access to essential health services

Palau scores 65 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Guyana scores 76 as of 2021.

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see 28.3% less spent on your healthcare

Palau spends $1,857 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Guyana spends $1,331 as of 2023.

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have 23.3% fewer doctors per person

Palau has 18.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Guyana has 13.9 as of 2020.

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Economy

make 65.9% more money

Palau has a GDP per capita of $19,532 as of 2025, while in Guyana, the GDP per capita is $32,414 as of 2025.

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be 40.6% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Palau, 24.9% live below the poverty line as of 2006. In Guyana, however, that number is 35.0% as of 2006.

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Life

be 15.7% 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 Guyana, 75.0 women do as of 2023.

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have 86.0% more children

In Palau, there are approximately 10.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Guyana, there are 19.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 11.1% less likely to be literate

In Palau, the literacy rate is 99.8% as of 2020. In Guyana, it is 88.8% as of 2021.

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be 24.7% 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 Guyana, on the other hand, 23.2 children do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 77.2% less on healthcare

Palau spends 10.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Guyana, that number is 2.5% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 69.8% less coastline

Palau has a total of 1,519 km of coastline. In Guyana, that number is 459 km.

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Safety

be 31.5% less likely to die in a road accident

In Palau, road accidents kill 22.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Guyana, they kill 15.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 76.5% more home broadband

Palau has 7.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Guyana has 12.9 as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 94.5% less CO2

Palau emits 82.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Guyana emits 4.6 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), The World Factbook (2006–2021), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Guyana: At a glance

Guyana is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 196,849 sq km. Originally a Dutch colony in the 17th century, by 1815 Guyana had become a British possession. The abolition of slavery led to settlement of urban areas by former slaves and the importation of indentured servants from India to work the sugar plantations. The resulting ethnocultural divide has persisted and has led to turbulent politics. Guyana achieved independence from the UK in 1966, and since then it has been ruled mostly by socialist-oriented governments. In 1992, Cheddi JAGAN was elected president in what is considered the country's first free and fair election since independence. After his death five years later, his wife, Janet JAGAN, became president but resigned in 1999 due to poor health. Her successor, Bharrat JAGDEO, was reelected in 2001 and again in 2006. Donald RAMOTAR was elected president in 2011.
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How big is Guyana compared to Palau? See an in-depth size comparison.

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