Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 16.9% more likely to be obese

In Samoa, 47.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Palau, that number is 55.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 2.6 times more money

Samoa has a GDP per capita of $6,000 as of 2023, while in Palau, the GDP per capita is $15,800 as of 2023.

be 82.6% less likely to be unemployed

In Samoa, 9.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Palau, that number is 1.7% as of 2015.

be 13.7% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Samoa, 21.9% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Palau, however, that number is 24.9% as of 2006.

Life

be 33.6% less likely to die during infancy

In Samoa, approximately 17.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2020. In Palau, on the other hand, 11.3 children do as of 2022.

have 38.3% fewer children

In Samoa, there are approximately 18.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Palau, there are 11.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 52.3% less likely to have internet access

In Samoa, approximately 78.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Palau, about 37.2% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 41.7% more on education

Samoa spends 4.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Palau spends 6.8% of total GDP on education as of 2019.

spend 3.5 times more on healthcare

Samoa spends 5.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Palau, that number is 18.4% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 3.8 times more coastline

Samoa has a total of 403 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 Samoa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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