Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Palau instead of Timor-Leste, you would:

Health

live 4.7 years longer

In Timor-Leste, the average life expectancy is 70 years (68 years for men, 72 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 14.6 times more likely to be obese

In Timor-Leste, 3.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Palau, that number is 55.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 3.4 times more money

Timor-Leste has a GDP per capita of $4,600 as of 2023, while in Palau, the GDP per capita is $15,800 as of 2023.

be 40.4% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Timor-Leste, 41.8% live below the poverty line as of 2014. In Palau, however, that number is 24.9% as of 2006.

be 11.8% more likely to be unemployed

In Timor-Leste, 1.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Palau, that number is 1.7% as of 2015.

Life

be 41.9% more likely to be literate

In Timor-Leste, the literacy rate is 68.1% as of 2018. In Palau, it is 96.6% as of 2015.

be 66.5% less likely to die during infancy

In Timor-Leste, approximately 33.7 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 60.9% fewer children

In Timor-Leste, there are approximately 29.7 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 14.1% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Timor-Leste, approximately 87% of people have improved drinking water access (98% in urban areas, and 82% 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 61.9% more on education

Timor-Leste spends 4.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Palau spends 6.8% of total GDP on education as of 2019.

spend 85.9% more on healthcare

Timor-Leste spends 9.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Palau, that number is 18.4% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 2.2 times more coastline

Timor-Leste has a total of 706 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 Timor-Leste? See an in-depth size comparison.

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