Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Palau instead of Puerto Rico, you would:

Health

live 7.0 years less

In Puerto Rico, the average life expectancy is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022. In Palau, that number is 75 years (71 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

be 71.7% less likely to be unemployed

In Puerto Rico, 6.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Palau, that number is 1.7% as of 2015.

make 58.9% less money

Puerto Rico has a GDP per capita of $34,300 as of 2022, while in Palau, the GDP per capita is $14,100 as of 2021.

Life

have 48.7% more children

In Puerto Rico, there are approximately 7.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Palau, there are 11.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 86.8% more likely to die during infancy

In Puerto Rico, approximately 6.0 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.

Basic Needs

be 52.1% less likely to have internet access

In Puerto Rico, approximately 77.7% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Palau, about 37.2% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 88.9% more on education

Puerto Rico spends 3.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Palau spends 6.8% of total GDP on education as of 2019.

Geography

see 3.0 times more coastline

Puerto Rico has a total of 501 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 Puerto Rico? See an in-depth size comparison.

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