Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Palau instead of South Africa, you would:
Health
live 3.1 years longer
In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 66 years (63 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024. In Palau, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
see 37.2% more spent on your healthcare
South Africa spends $1,354 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Palau spends $1,857 as of 2023.
have 2.3 times more doctors per person
South Africa has 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Palau has 18.1 as of 2023.
be 27.5% more likely to be obese
In South Africa, 31.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Palau, that number is 40.5% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 3.0 times more money
South Africa has a GDP per capita of $6,598 as of 2025, while in Palau, the GDP per capita is $19,532 as of 2025.
Life
be 24.6% less likely to die during childbirth
In South Africa, approximately 118.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Palau, 89.0 women do as of 2023.
be 23.1% less likely to die during infancy
In South Africa, approximately 24.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Palau, on the other hand, 18.6 children do as of 2024.
have 42.2% fewer children
In South Africa, there are approximately 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Palau, there are 10.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 14.0% more likely to have access to electricity
In South Africa, approximately 88% of people have electricity access (91% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Palau, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 10.4% more likely to have access to drinking water
In South Africa, approximately 90% of people have access to drinking water (98% in urban areas, and 73% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Palau, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 42.9% less on education
South Africa spends 6.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Palau spends 3.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 21.8% more on healthcare
South Africa spends 8.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Palau, that number is 10.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 45.7% less coastline
South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Palau, that number is 1,519 km.
Infrastructure
find 37.0% more home broadband
South Africa has 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Palau has 7.3 as of 2023.
Environment
emit 12.0 times more CO2
South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Palau emits 82.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: South Africa vs. Palau
Palau: At a glance
How big is Palau compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.