Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 1.7 years longer

In Palau, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Libya, that number is 71 years (70 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 16.9% less likely to be obese

In Palau, 40.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Libya, that number is 33.7% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

see 43.2% less spent on your healthcare

Palau spends $1,857 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Libya spends $1,055 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Economy

make 67.0% less money

Palau has a GDP per capita of $19,532 as of 2025, while in Libya, the GDP per capita is $6,449 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

be 33.7% 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 Libya, 59.0 women do as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 57.5% 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 Libya, on the other hand, 7.9 children do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

have 54.3% more children

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

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 26.8% 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 Libya, that number is 73% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 96% in rural areas) as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 28.0% less on healthcare

Palau spends 10.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Libya, that number is 7.8% of GDP as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Geography

see 16.5% more coastline

Palau has a total of 1,519 km of coastline. In Libya, that number is 1,770 km.

View global rankings →

Safety

be 53.2% more likely to die in a road accident

In Palau, road accidents kill 22.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Libya, they kill 34.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 38.3% less home broadband

Palau has 7.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Libya has 4.5 as of 2022.

View global rankings →

Environment

emit 89.5% less CO2

Palau emits 82.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Libya emits 8.7 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this

Compare further: Palau vs. Libya

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Libya is 79.3% cheaper than Palau overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Palau is about 3,833 times smaller than Libya.
→
Moving from Palau to Libya · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

Libya: At a glance

Libya is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 1,759,540 sq km. The Italians supplanted the Ottoman Turks in the area around Tripoli in 1911 and did not relinquish their hold until 1943 when defeated in World War II. Libya then passed to UN administration and achieved independence in 1951. Following a 1969 military coup, Col. Muammar al-QADHAFI assumed leadership and began to espouse his political system at home, which was a combination of socialism and Islam. During the 1970s, QADHAFI used oil revenues to promote his ideology outside Libya, supporting subversive and terrorist activities that included the downing of two airliners - one over Scotland, another in Northern Africa - and a discotheque bombing in Berlin. UN sanctions in 1992 isolated QADHAFI politically and economically following the attacks; sanctions were lifted in 2003 following Libyan acceptance of responsibility for the bombings and agreement to claimant compensation. QADHAFI also agreed to end Libya's program to develop weapons of mass destruction, and he made significant strides in normalizing relations with Western nations. Unrest that began in several Middle Eastern and North African countries in late 2010 erupted in Libyan cities in early 2011. QADHAFI's brutal crackdown on protesters spawned a civil war that triggered UN authorization of air and naval intervention by the international community. After months of seesaw fighting between government and opposition forces, the QADHAFI regime was toppled in mid-2011 and replaced by a transitional government. Libya in 2012 formed a new parliament and elected a new prime minister.
Read more

How big is Libya compared to Palau? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

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