Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Micronesia, Federated States of instead of Palau, you would:

Health

be 17.2% less likely to be obese

In Palau, 55.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Micronesia, Federated States of, that number is 45.8% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 75.9% less money

Palau has a GDP per capita of $15,800 as of 2023, while in Micronesia, Federated States of, the GDP per capita is $3,800 as of 2023.

be 9.5 times more likely to be unemployed

In Palau, 1.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2015. In Micronesia, Federated States of, that number is 16.2% as of 2010.

be 65.5% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Palau, 24.9% live below the poverty line as of 2006. In Micronesia, Federated States of, however, that number is 41.2% as of 2013.

Life

have 53.4% more children

In Palau, there are approximately 11.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Micronesia, Federated States of, there are 17.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 94.1% 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 Micronesia, Federated States of, on the other hand, 21.9 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 14.7% less likely to have access to electricity

In Palau, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 97% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Micronesia, Federated States of, that number is 85% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 79% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 21.2% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Palau, approximately 100% of people have improved drinking water access as of 2020. In Micronesia, Federated States of, 79% of people do as of 2017.

Expenditures

spend 37.0% less on healthcare

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

spend 42.6% more on education

Palau spends 6.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Micronesia, Federated States of spends 9.7% of total GDP on education as of 2018.

Geography

see 4.0 times more coastline

Palau has a total of 1,519 km of coastline. In Micronesia, Federated States of, that number is 6,112 km.

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

Micronesia, Federated States of: At a glance

Micronesia, Federated States of is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 702 sq km. The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean; they became part of a UN Trust Territory under US administration following World War II. The eastern four island groups adopted a constitution in 1979 and chose to become the Federated States of Micronesia. (The fifth, westernmost island group became Palau.) Independence came in 1986 under a Compact of Free Association with the US, which was amended and renewed in 2004. Present concerns include large-scale unemployment, overfishing, and overdependence on US aid.
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How big is Micronesia, Federated States of compared to Palau? See an in-depth size comparison.

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