Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Palau instead of Timor-Leste, you would:
Health
live 1.5 years longer
In Timor-Leste, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 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 4.0 times more spent on your healthcare
Timor-Leste spends $461 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Palau spends $1,857 as of 2023.
have 2.4 times more doctors per person
Timor-Leste has 7.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. Palau has 18.1 as of 2023.
have 25.0% more access to essential health services
Timor-Leste scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Palau scores 65 as of 2021.
be 11.2 times more likely to be obese
In Timor-Leste, 3.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Palau, that number is 40.5% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 14.6 times more money
Timor-Leste has a GDP per capita of $1,341 as of 2025, while in Palau, the GDP per capita is $19,532 as of 2025.
Life
be 53.6% less likely to die during childbirth
In Timor-Leste, approximately 192.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Palau, 89.0 women do as of 2023.
be 43.9% more likely to be literate
In Timor-Leste, the literacy rate is 69.4% as of 2022. In Palau, it is 99.8% as of 2020.
be 46.2% less likely to die during infancy
In Timor-Leste, approximately 34.6 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 50.9% fewer children
In Timor-Leste, there are approximately 21.8 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 2.1 times more likely to have internet access
In Timor-Leste, approximately 40.8% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Palau, about 83.9% do as of 2024.
be 14.0% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Timor-Leste, approximately 87% of people have access to drinking water (98% in urban areas, and 82% 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 34.4% less on education
Timor-Leste spends 5.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Palau spends 3.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 13.0% more on healthcare
Timor-Leste spends 9.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Palau, that number is 10.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 2.2 times more coastline
Timor-Leste has a total of 706 km of coastline. In Palau, that number is 1,519 km.
Safety
be 2.8 times more likely to be murdered
Timor-Leste has a homicide rate of 4.1 per 100,000 people as of 2015. In Palau, that number is 11.2 per 100,000 as of 2018.
be 85.0% more likely to die in a road accident
In Timor-Leste, road accidents kill 12.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Palau, they kill 22.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 733.0 times more home broadband
Timor-Leste has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Palau has 7.3 as of 2023.
Environment
emit 165.7 times more CO2
Timor-Leste emits 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Palau emits 82.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Timor-Leste vs. Palau
Palau: At a glance
How big is Palau compared to Timor-Leste? See an in-depth size comparison.