Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United States instead of Palau, you would:
Health
live 9.5 years longer
In Palau, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In United States, that number is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
see 7.3 times more spent on your healthcare
Palau spends $1,857 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United States spends $13,473 as of 2023.
have 2.0 times more doctors per person
Palau has 18.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. United States has 36.8 as of 2022.
have 32.3% more access to essential health services
Palau scores 65 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. United States scores 86 as of 2021.
Economy
make 4.6 times more money
Palau has a GDP per capita of $19,532 as of 2025, while in United States, the GDP per capita is $90,027 as of 2025.
Life
be 80.9% 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 United States, 17.0 women do as of 2023.
be 70.4% 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 United States, on the other hand, 5.5 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 12.8% more likely to have internet access
In Palau, approximately 83.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In United States, about 94.7% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 57.6% more on education
Palau spends 3.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. United States spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 53.8% more on healthcare
Palau spends 10.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United States, that number is 16.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 13.1 times more coastline
Palau has a total of 1,519 km of coastline. In United States, that number is 19,924 km.
Safety
be 36.0% less likely to die in a road accident
In Palau, road accidents kill 22.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United States, they kill 14.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 5.3 times more home broadband
Palau has 7.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. United States has 38.9 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 83.6% less CO2
Palau emits 82.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United States emits 13.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Palau vs. United States
United States: At a glance
How big is United States compared to Palau? See an in-depth size comparison.