Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Palau instead of Marshall Islands, you would:

Economy

make 2.3 times more money

Marshall Islands has a GDP per capita of $6,800 as of 2023, while in Palau, the GDP per capita is $15,800 as of 2023.

be 95.3% less likely to be unemployed

In Marshall Islands, 36.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2006. In Palau, that number is 1.7% as of 2015.

be 3.5 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Marshall Islands, 7.2% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Palau, however, that number is 24.9% as of 2006.

Life

be 47.9% less likely to die during infancy

In Marshall Islands, approximately 21.7 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 45.3% fewer children

In Marshall Islands, there are approximately 21.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Palau, there are 11.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Expenditures

spend 50.0% less on education

Marshall Islands spends 13.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Palau spends 6.8% of total GDP on education as of 2019.

spend 41.5% more on healthcare

Marshall Islands spends 13.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Palau, that number is 18.4% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 4.1 times more coastline

Marshall Islands has a total of 370 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 Marshall Islands? See an in-depth size comparison.

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