Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 16.8% less likely to be obese

In Palau, 55.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Kiribati, that number is 46.0% of people as of 2016.

live 6.7 years less

In Palau, the average life expectancy is 75 years (71 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022. In Kiribati, that number is 68 years (65 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

be 12.0% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Palau, 24.9% live below the poverty line as of 2006. In Kiribati, however, that number is 21.9% as of 2020.

make 79.7% less money

Palau has a GDP per capita of $15,800 as of 2023, while in Kiribati, the GDP per capita is $3,200 as of 2023.

be 18.0 times more likely to be unemployed

In Palau, 1.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2015. In Kiribati, that number is 30.6% as of 2010.

Life

have 69.8% more children

In Palau, there are approximately 11.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Kiribati, there are 19.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 2.9 times more likely to die during infancy

In Palau, approximately 11.3 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Kiribati, on the other hand, 32.9 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 45.2% more likely to have internet access

In Palau, approximately 37.2% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Kiribati, about 54.0% do as of 2021.

be 17.8% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Palau, approximately 100% of people have improved drinking water access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Kiribati, that number is 82% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 63% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 37.0% less on healthcare

Palau spends 18.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Kiribati, that number is 11.6% of GDP as of 2020.

spend 82.4% more on education

Palau spends 6.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Kiribati spends 12.4% of total GDP on education as of 2019.

Geography

see 24.8% less coastline

Palau has a total of 1,519 km of coastline. In Kiribati, that number is 1,143 km.

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

Kiribati: At a glance

Kiribati is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 811 sq km. The Gilbert Islands became a British protectorate in 1892 and a colony in 1915; they were captured by the Japanese in the Pacific War in 1941. The islands of Makin and Tarawa were the sites of major US amphibious victories over entrenched Japanese garrisons in 1943. The Gilbert Islands were granted self-rule by the UK in 1971 and complete independence in 1979 under the new name of Kiribati. The US relinquished all claims to the sparsely inhabited Phoenix and Line Island groups in a 1979 treaty of friendship with Kiribati.
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How big is Kiribati compared to Palau? See an in-depth size comparison.

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