Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Palau instead of Nicaragua, you would:

Health

be 2.3 times more likely to be obese

In Nicaragua, 23.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Palau, that number is 55.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 2.4 times more money

Nicaragua has a GDP per capita of $5,800 as of 2022, while in Palau, the GDP per capita is $14,100 as of 2021.

be 65.9% less likely to be unemployed

In Nicaragua, 5.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Palau, that number is 1.7% as of 2015.

Life

be 16.9% more likely to be literate

In Nicaragua, the literacy rate is 82.6% as of 2015. In Palau, it is 96.6% as of 2015.

be 40.9% less likely to die during infancy

In Nicaragua, approximately 19.1 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Palau, on the other hand, 11.3 children do as of 2022.

have 29.3% fewer children

In Nicaragua, there are approximately 16.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Palau, there are 11.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 16.0% more likely to have access to electricity

In Nicaragua, approximately 86% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 66% in rural areas) as of 2021. In Palau, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 97% in rural areas) as of 2021.

be 19.8% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Nicaragua, approximately 83% of people have improved drinking water access (98% in urban areas, and 63% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Palau, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2020.

be 34.7% less likely to have internet access

In Nicaragua, approximately 57.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Palau, about 37.2% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 47.8% more on education

Nicaragua spends 4.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Palau spends 6.8% of total GDP on education as of 2019.

spend 2.1 times more on healthcare

Nicaragua spends 8.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Palau, that number is 18.4% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 66.9% more coastline

Nicaragua has a total of 910 km of coastline. In Palau, that number is 1,519 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Palau: At a glance

Palau is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 459 sq km. After three decades as part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific under US administration, this westernmost cluster of the Caroline Islands opted for independence in 1978 rather than join the Federated States of Micronesia. A Compact of Free Association with the US was approved in 1986 but not ratified until 1993. It entered into force the following year when the islands gained independence.
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How big is Palau compared to Nicaragua? See an in-depth size comparison.

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