Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 5.4 years longer

In Palau, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Vietnam, that number is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 94.1% less likely to be obese

In Palau, 40.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Vietnam, that number is 2.4% of people as of 2024.

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see 62.9% less spent on your healthcare

Palau spends $1,857 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Vietnam spends $690 as of 2023.

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have 38.8% fewer doctors per person

Palau has 18.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Vietnam has 11.1 as of 2021.

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Economy

make 74.1% less money

Palau has a GDP per capita of $19,532 as of 2025, while in Vietnam, the GDP per capita is $5,066 as of 2025.

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Life

be 46.1% 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 Vietnam, 48.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 35.5% 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 Vietnam, on the other hand, 12.0 children do as of 2024.

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have 25.5% more children

In Palau, there are approximately 10.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Vietnam, there are 13.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 16.0% less on education

Palau spends 3.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Vietnam spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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spend 58.0% less on healthcare

Palau spends 10.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Vietnam, that number is 4.6% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 2.3 times more coastline

Palau has a total of 1,519 km of coastline. In Vietnam, that number is 3,444 km.

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Safety

be 20.3% less likely to die in a road accident

In Palau, road accidents kill 22.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Vietnam, they kill 17.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 3.2 times more home broadband

Palau has 7.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Vietnam has 23.7 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 94.8% less CO2

Palau emits 82.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Vietnam emits 4.3 tonnes as of 2024.

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

Compare further: Palau vs. Vietnam

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Vietnam is 55.8% cheaper than Palau overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Palau is about 722 times smaller than Vietnam.
→
Moving from Palau to Vietnam · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

Vietnam: At a glance

Vietnam (sometimes abbreviated SRV) is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 310,070 sq km. The conquest of Vietnam by France began in 1858 and was completed by 1884. It became part of French Indochina in 1887. Vietnam declared independence after World War II, but France continued to rule until its 1954 defeat by communist forces under Ho Chi MINH. Under the Geneva Accords of 1954, Vietnam was divided into the communist North and anti-communist South. US economic and military aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the government, but US armed forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973. Two years later, North Vietnamese forces overran the South reuniting the country under communist rule. Despite the return of peace, for over a decade the country experienced little economic growth because of conservative leadership policies, the persecution and mass exodus of individuals - many of them successful South Vietnamese merchants - and growing international isolation. However, since the enactment of Vietnam's "doi moi" (renovation) policy in 1986, Vietnamese authorities have committed to increased economic liberalization and enacted structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to produce more competitive, export-driven industries. The communist leaders, however, maintain control on political expression and have resisted outside calls to improve human rights. The country continues to experience small-scale protests from various groups - the vast majority connected to land-use issues, calls for increased political space, and the lack of equitable mechanisms for resolving disputes. Various ethnic minorities, such as the Montagnards of the Central Highlands and the Khmer Krom in the southern delta region, have also held protests.
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How big is Vietnam compared to Palau? See an in-depth size comparison.

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