Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Palau instead of Solomon Islands, you would:

Health

live 2.1 years less

In Solomon Islands, the average life expectancy is 77 years (74 years for men, 79 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 2.5 times more likely to be obese

In Solomon Islands, 22.5% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Palau, that number is 55.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 5.9 times more money

Solomon Islands has a GDP per capita of $2,700 as of 2023, while in Palau, the GDP per capita is $15,800 as of 2023.

be 96.1% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Solomon Islands, 12.7% live below the poverty line as of 2012. In Palau, however, that number is 24.9% as of 2006.

Life

be 43.7% less likely to die during infancy

In Solomon Islands, approximately 20.0 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.

have 48.9% fewer children

In Solomon Islands, there are approximately 22.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Palau, there are 11.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 31.6% more likely to have access to electricity

In Solomon Islands, approximately 76% of people have electricity access (79% in urban areas, and 75% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Palau, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 97% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 36.4% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Solomon Islands, approximately 73% of people have improved drinking water access (95% in urban areas, and 66% 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 46.9% less on education

Solomon Islands spends 12.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Palau spends 6.8% of total GDP on education as of 2019.

spend 4.2 times more on healthcare

Solomon Islands spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Palau, that number is 18.4% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 71.4% less coastline

Solomon Islands has a total of 5,313 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 Solomon Islands? See an in-depth size comparison.

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