Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Palau instead of United States, you would:
Health
live 9.5 years less
In United States, the average life expectancy is 79 years (76 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.
see 86.2% less spent on your healthcare
United States spends $13,473 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Palau spends $1,857 as of 2023.
have 50.9% fewer doctors per person
United States has 36.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Palau has 18.1 as of 2023.
have 24.4% less access to essential health services
United States scores 86 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Palau scores 65 as of 2021.
Economy
make 78.3% less money
United States has a GDP per capita of $90,027 as of 2025, while in Palau, the GDP per capita is $19,532 as of 2025.
Life
be 5.2 times more likely to die during childbirth
In United States, approximately 17.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Palau, 89.0 women do as of 2023.
be 3.4 times more likely to die during infancy
In United States, approximately 5.5 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 11.4% less likely to have internet access
In United States, approximately 94.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Palau, about 83.9% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 36.5% less on education
United States spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Palau spends 3.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 35.0% less on healthcare
United States spends 16.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Palau, that number is 10.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 92.4% less coastline
United States has a total of 19,924 km of coastline. In Palau, that number is 1,519 km.
Safety
be 56.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In United States, road accidents kill 14.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Palau, they kill 22.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 81.1% less home broadband
United States has 38.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Palau has 7.3 as of 2023.
Environment
emit 6.1 times more CO2
United States emits 13.6 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), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: United States vs. Palau
Palau: At a glance
How big is Palau compared to United States? See an in-depth size comparison.