Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 76.3% less likely to be obese

In Palau, 40.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Philippines, that number is 9.6% of people as of 2024.

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see 69.8% less spent on your healthcare

Palau spends $1,857 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Philippines spends $560 as of 2023.

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have 56.2% fewer doctors per person

Palau has 18.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Philippines has 7.9 as of 2021.

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have 10.8% less access to essential health services

Palau scores 65 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Philippines scores 58 as of 2021.

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Economy

make 78.6% less money

Palau has a GDP per capita of $19,532 as of 2025, while in Philippines, the GDP per capita is $4,171 as of 2025.

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Life

have 48.6% more children

In Palau, there are approximately 10.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Philippines, there are 15.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 16.7% 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 Philippines, on the other hand, 21.7 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 19.9% less likely to have internet access

In Palau, approximately 83.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Philippines, about 67.3% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 53.0% less on healthcare

Palau spends 10.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Philippines, that number is 5.1% of GDP as of 2023.

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spend 15.4% more on education

Palau spends 3.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Philippines spends 4.0% of total GDP on education as of 2025.

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Geography

see 23.9 times more coastline

Palau has a total of 1,519 km of coastline. In Philippines, that number is 36,289 km.

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Safety

be 56.3% less likely to die in a road accident

In Palau, road accidents kill 22.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Philippines, they kill 9.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Environment

emit 98.2% less CO2

Palau emits 82.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Philippines emits 1.5 tonnes as of 2024.

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

Compare further: Palau vs. Philippines

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Philippines is 58.3% cheaper than Palau overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
Palau is about 654 times smaller than Philippines.
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Moving from Palau to Philippines · UN DESA 2020
35 people born in Palau live in Philippines.
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Philippines: At a glance

Philippines is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 298,170 sq km. The Philippine Islands became a Spanish colony during the 16th century; they were ceded to the US in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. In 1935 the Philippines became a self-governing commonwealth. Manuel QUEZON was elected president and was tasked with preparing the country for independence after a 10-year transition. In 1942 the islands fell under Japanese occupation during World War II, and US forces and Filipinos fought together during 1944-45 to regain control. On 4 July 1946 the Republic of the Philippines attained its independence. A 20-year rule by Ferdinand MARCOS ended in 1986, when a "people power" movement in Manila ("EDSA 1") forced him into exile and installed Corazon AQUINO as president. Her presidency was hampered by several coup attempts that prevented a return to full political stability and economic development. Fidel RAMOS was elected president in 1992. His administration was marked by increased stability and by progress on economic reforms. In 1992, the US closed its last military bases on the islands. Joseph ESTRADA was elected president in 1998. He was succeeded by his vice-president, Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, in January 2001 after ESTRADA's stormy impeachment trial on corruption charges broke down and another "people power" movement ("EDSA 2") demanded his resignation. MACAPAGAL-ARROYO was elected to a six-year term as president in May 2004. Her presidency was marred by several corruption allegations but the Philippine economy was one of the few to avoid contraction following the 2008 global financial crisis, expanding each year of her administration. Benigno AQUINO III was elected to a six-year term as president in May 2010. The Philippine Government faces threats from several groups, some of which are on the US Government's Foreign Terrorist Organization list. Manila has waged a decades-long struggle against ethnic Moro insurgencies in the southern Philippines, which has led to a peace accord with the Moro National Liberation Front and ongoing peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. The decades-long Maoist-inspired New People's Army insurgency also operates through much of the country. The Philippines faces increased tension with China over disputed territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea.
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