Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Palau instead of Costa Rica, you would:

Health

live 5.0 years less

In Costa Rica, the average life expectancy is 80 years (77 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2022. In Palau, that number is 75 years (71 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022.

be 2.2 times more likely to be obese

In Costa Rica, 25.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Palau, that number is 55.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 79.5% less likely to be unemployed

In Costa Rica, 8.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Palau, that number is 1.7% as of 2015.

make 38.8% less money

Costa Rica has a GDP per capita of $25,800 as of 2023, while in Palau, the GDP per capita is $15,800 as of 2023.

Life

be 34.4% more likely to die during infancy

In Costa Rica, approximately 8.4 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.

Basic Needs

be 55.2% less likely to have internet access

In Costa Rica, approximately 83.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Palau, about 37.2% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 2.3 times more on healthcare

Costa Rica spends 7.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Palau, that number is 18.4% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 17.8% more coastline

Costa Rica has a total of 1,290 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 Costa Rica? See an in-depth size comparison.

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