Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 3.7 years longer

In Palau, the average life expectancy is 75 years (71 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022. In Brunei, that number is 78 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2022.

be 74.5% less likely to be obese

In Palau, 55.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Brunei, that number is 14.1% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 4.9 times more money

Palau has a GDP per capita of $15,800 as of 2023, while in Brunei, the GDP per capita is $77,900 as of 2023.

be 3.1 times more likely to be unemployed

In Palau, 1.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2015. In Brunei, that number is 5.3% as of 2023.

Life

have 36.2% more children

In Palau, there are approximately 11.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Brunei, there are 15.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 2.6 times more likely to have internet access

In Palau, approximately 37.2% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Brunei, about 98.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 35.3% less on education

Palau spends 6.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Brunei spends 4.4% of total GDP on education as of 2016.

spend 87.0% less on healthcare

Palau spends 18.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Brunei, that number is 2.4% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 89.4% less coastline

Palau has a total of 1,519 km of coastline. In Brunei, that number is 161 km.

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

Brunei: At a glance

Brunei is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 5,265 sq km. The Sultanate of Brunei's influence peaked between the 15th and 17th centuries when its control extended over coastal areas of northwest Borneo and the southern Philippines. Brunei subsequently entered a period of decline brought on by internal strife over royal succession, colonial expansion of European powers, and piracy. In 1888, Brunei became a British protectorate; independence was achieved in 1984. The same family has ruled Brunei for over six centuries. Brunei benefits from extensive petroleum and natural gas fields, the source of one of the highest per capita GDPs in Asia.
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How big is Brunei compared to Palau? See an in-depth size comparison.

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