Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Palau instead of Zambia, you would:
Health
live 2.8 years longer
In Zambia, the average life expectancy is 67 years (64 years for men, 69 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 7.6 times more spent on your healthcare
Zambia spends $244 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Palau spends $1,857 as of 2023.
have 5.6 times more doctors per person
Zambia has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Palau has 18.1 as of 2023.
have 16.1% more access to essential health services
Zambia scores 56 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Palau scores 65 as of 2021.
be 3.5 times more likely to be obese
In Zambia, 11.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Palau, that number is 40.5% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 14.8 times more money
Zambia has a GDP per capita of $1,318 as of 2025, while in Palau, the GDP per capita is $19,532 as of 2025.
Life
be 46.2% less likely to die during infancy
In Zambia, 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 67.3% fewer children
In Zambia, there are approximately 32.7 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 95.7% more likely to have access to electricity
In Zambia, approximately 51% of people have electricity access (90% in urban areas, and 18% 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 4.9 times more likely to have internet access
In Zambia, approximately 17.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Palau, about 83.9% do as of 2024.
be 35.6% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Zambia, approximately 73% of people have access to drinking water (90% in urban areas, and 58% 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 15.5% less on education
Zambia spends 4.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Palau spends 3.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 81.4% more on healthcare
Zambia spends 6.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Palau, that number is 10.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 2.2 times more likely to be murdered
Zambia has a homicide rate of 5.2 per 100,000 people as of 2015. In Palau, that number is 11.2 per 100,000 as of 2018.
be 29.8% more likely to die in a road accident
In Zambia, road accidents kill 17.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Palau, they kill 22.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 9.3 times more home broadband
Zambia has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Palau has 7.3 as of 2023.
Environment
emit 153.4 times more CO2
Zambia 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), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Zambia vs. Palau
Palau: At a glance
How big is Palau compared to Zambia? See an in-depth size comparison.