Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Palau instead of Guinea-Bissau, you would:

Health

live 11.0 years longer

In Guinea-Bissau, the average life expectancy is 64 years (61 years for men, 66 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 5.8 times more likely to be obese

In Guinea-Bissau, 9.5% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Palau, that number is 55.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 6.6 times more money

Guinea-Bissau has a GDP per capita of $2,400 as of 2023, while in Palau, the GDP per capita is $15,800 as of 2023.

be 46.5% less likely to be unemployed

In Guinea-Bissau, 3.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Palau, that number is 1.7% as of 2015.

be 47.8% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Guinea-Bissau, 47.7% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Palau, however, that number is 24.9% as of 2006.

Life

be 82.6% more likely to be literate

In Guinea-Bissau, the literacy rate is 52.9% as of 2021. In Palau, it is 96.6% as of 2015.

be 77.0% less likely to die during infancy

In Guinea-Bissau, approximately 49.0 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 68.2% fewer children

In Guinea-Bissau, there are approximately 36.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Palau, there are 11.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 2.7 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Guinea-Bissau, approximately 37% of people have electricity access (60% in urban areas, and 16% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Palau, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 97% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 36.4% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Guinea-Bissau, approximately 73% of people have improved drinking water access (91% in urban areas, and 59% 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.

Expenditures

spend 2.5 times more on education

Guinea-Bissau spends 2.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Palau spends 6.8% of total GDP on education as of 2019.

spend 2.2 times more on healthcare

Guinea-Bissau spends 8.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Palau, that number is 18.4% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 4.3 times more coastline

Guinea-Bissau has a total of 350 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 Guinea-Bissau? See an in-depth size comparison.

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