Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Palau instead of Thailand, you would:
Health
see 74.1% more spent on your healthcare
Thailand spends $1,067 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Palau spends $1,857 as of 2023.
have 3.3 times more doctors per person
Thailand has 5.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Palau has 18.1 as of 2023.
live 7.2 years less
In Thailand, the average life expectancy is 77 years (72 years for men, 81 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 2.5 times more likely to be obese
In Thailand, 16.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Palau, that number is 40.5% of people as of 2024.
have 20.7% less access to essential health services
Thailand scores 82 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Palau scores 65 as of 2021.
Economy
make 2.4 times more money
Thailand has a GDP per capita of $8,057 as of 2025, while in Palau, the GDP per capita is $19,532 as of 2025.
Life
have 31.7% more children
In Thailand, there are approximately 8.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Palau, there are 10.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.6 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Thailand, approximately 34.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Palau, 89.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.4 times more likely to die during infancy
In Thailand, approximately 7.7 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.
Expenditures
spend 36.5% more on education
Thailand spends 2.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Palau spends 3.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 2.4 times more on healthcare
Thailand spends 4.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Palau, that number is 10.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 52.8% less coastline
Thailand has a total of 3,219 km of coastline. In Palau, that number is 1,519 km.
Safety
be 12.6% less likely to die in a road accident
In Thailand, road accidents kill 25.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Palau, they kill 22.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 50.8% less home broadband
Thailand has 14.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Palau has 7.3 as of 2023.
Environment
emit 20.9 times more CO2
Thailand emits 4.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Palau emits 82.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Thailand vs. Palau
Palau: At a glance
How big is Palau compared to Thailand? See an in-depth size comparison.