Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Palau instead of South Korea, you would:
Health
live 14.2 years less
In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Palau, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
be 4.8 times more likely to be obese
In South Korea, 8.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Palau, that number is 40.5% of people as of 2024.
see 63.5% less spent on your healthcare
South Korea spends $5,081 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Palau spends $1,857 as of 2023.
have 30.7% fewer doctors per person
South Korea has 26.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Palau has 18.1 as of 2023.
have 27.0% less access to essential health services
South Korea scores 89 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Palau scores 65 as of 2021.
Economy
make 46.1% less money
South Korea has a GDP per capita of $36,227 as of 2025, while in Palau, the GDP per capita is $19,532 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.3 times more children
In South Korea, there are approximately 4.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Palau, there are 10.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 22.2 times more likely to die during childbirth
In South Korea, approximately 4.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Palau, 89.0 women do as of 2023.
be 8.1 times more likely to die during infancy
In South Korea, approximately 2.3 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.
Basic Needs
be 14.3% less likely to have internet access
In South Korea, approximately 97.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Palau, about 83.9% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 36.4% less on education
South Korea spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Palau spends 3.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 25.0% more on healthcare
South Korea spends 8.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Palau, that number is 10.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 37.0% less coastline
South Korea has a total of 2,413 km of coastline. In Palau, that number is 1,519 km.
Safety
be 3.2 times more likely to die in a road accident
In South Korea, road accidents kill 6.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Palau, they kill 22.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 84.7% less home broadband
South Korea has 47.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Palau has 7.3 as of 2023.
Environment
emit 7.3 times more CO2
South Korea emits 11.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Palau emits 82.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: South Korea vs. Palau
Palau: At a glance
How big is Palau compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.