Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Marshall Islands instead of Palau, you would:
Health
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 Marshall Islands, that number is 67 years (65 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024.
see 52.9% less spent on your healthcare
Palau spends $1,857 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Marshall Islands spends $874 as of 2023.
Economy
make 56.5% less money
Palau has a GDP per capita of $19,532 as of 2025, while in Marshall Islands, the GDP per capita is $8,489 as of 2025.
Life
have 87.9% more children
In Palau, there are approximately 10.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Marshall Islands, there are 20.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 74.2% 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 Marshall Islands, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
be 22.0% 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 Marshall Islands, on the other hand, 22.7 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 21.5% less likely to have internet access
In Palau, approximately 83.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Marshall Islands, about 65.9% do as of 2024.
be 12.1% 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 Marshall Islands, that number is 87% of people on average (86% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.2 times more on education
Palau spends 3.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Marshall Islands spends 7.7% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 23.6% more on healthcare
Palau spends 10.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Marshall Islands, that number is 13.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 75.6% less coastline
Palau has a total of 1,519 km of coastline. In Marshall Islands, that number is 370 km.
Safety
be 46.4% less likely to die in a road accident
In Palau, road accidents kill 22.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Marshall Islands, they kill 11.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 67.9% less home broadband
Palau has 7.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Marshall Islands has 2.4 as of 2022.
Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Palau vs. Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands: At a glance
How big is Marshall Islands compared to Palau? See an in-depth size comparison.