If you lived in Palau instead of Sierra Leone, you would:

Health

live 15.9 years longer

In Sierra Leone, the average life expectancy is 59 years (57 years for men, 60 years for women) as of 2022. In Palau, that number is 75 years (71 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022.

be 6.4 times more likely to be obese

In Sierra Leone, 8.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Palau, that number is 55.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 8.8 times more money

Sierra Leone has a GDP per capita of $1,600 as of 2022, while in Palau, the GDP per capita is $14,100 as of 2021.

be 48.0% less likely to be unemployed

In Sierra Leone, 3.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Palau, that number is 1.7% as of 2015.

be 56.2% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Sierra Leone, 56.8% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Palau, however, that number is 24.9% as of 2006.

Life

be 98.8% more likely to be literate

In Sierra Leone, the literacy rate is 48.6% as of 2022. In Palau, it is 96.6% as of 2015.

be 84.6% less likely to die during infancy

In Sierra Leone, approximately 73.4 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.

have 62.3% fewer children

In Sierra Leone, there are approximately 30.8 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 3.6 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Sierra Leone, approximately 27% of people have electricity access (57% in urban areas, and 5% in rural areas) as of 2021. In Palau, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 97% in rural areas) as of 2021.

be 2.9 times more likely to have internet access

In Sierra Leone, approximately 12.7% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Palau, about 37.2% do as of 2021.

be 37.0% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Sierra Leone, approximately 73% of people have improved drinking water access (92% in urban areas, and 58% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Palau, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 25.3% less on education

Sierra Leone spends 9.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Palau spends 6.8% of total GDP on education as of 2019.

spend 2.1 times more on healthcare

Sierra Leone spends 8.8% 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

Sierra Leone has a total of 402 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 Sierra Leone? See an in-depth size comparison.

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