Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Palau fits inside Timor-Leste 32 times.
Palau: 460 km² (2023) · Timor-Leste: 14,870 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Palau’s coastline is 2.2 times as long as Timor-Leste’s.
Palau: 1,519 km (2026 edition) · Timor-Leste: 706 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Timor-Leste’s highest peak towers 2,721 m above Palau’s.
Palau: 242 m (2026 edition) · Timor-Leste: 2,963 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Timor-Leste has 80 times as many people as Palau.
Palau: 17,663 (2025) · Timor-Leste: 1.42 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Timor-Leste is 2.5 times as densely populated as Palau.
Palau: 38 per km² (2025) · Timor-Leste: 95 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Palau are 10.5 cm taller than in Timor-Leste.
Palau: 170.6 cm (2019) · Timor-Leste: 160.1 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Palau are 6.8 cm taller than in Timor-Leste.
Palau: 159.5 cm (2019) · Timor-Leste: 152.7 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Palau is 17 years older than in Timor-Leste.
Palau: 37.8 years (2023) · Timor-Leste: 21 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Timor-Leste have 0.7 more children on average than in Palau.
Palau: 1.88 children per woman (2024) · Timor-Leste: 2.63 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
12% of people in Palau are 65 or older, versus 5.2% in Timor-Leste.
Palau: 11.8% (2025) · Timor-Leste: 5.2% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Palau: no data · Timor-Leste: 14.1 (2025)
How many official languages?
Palau and Timor-Leste are practically level.
Palau: 2 (2026) · Timor-Leste: 2 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Timor-Leste’s economy is 5.5 times the size of Palau’s.
Palau: $345 million (2025) · Timor-Leste: $1.9 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Palau produces 4.8 times as much per person as Timor-Leste.
Palau: Int$23,052 (2025) · Timor-Leste: Int$4,809 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Palau: no data · Timor-Leste: 28.7 (2014)
How many people are looking for work?
Palau: no data · Timor-Leste: 1.6% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Palau: no data · Timor-Leste: 2.7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Palau’s price level (US = 100) is 3× Timor-Leste’s.
Palau: 85% (2025) · Timor-Leste: 28% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Palau spends 12 times as much on health per person as Timor-Leste.
Palau: $1,684 (2023) · Timor-Leste: $144 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Palau live 1.5 years longer than in Timor-Leste.
Palau: 69.4 years (2024) · Timor-Leste: 67.9 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Timor-Leste is 86% more likely to die before turning one than in Palau.
Palau: 18.6 per 1,000 (2024) · Timor-Leste: 34.6 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Palau has 2.4 times as many doctors per person as Timor-Leste.
Palau: 1.8 per 1,000 (2023) · Timor-Leste: 0.8 per 1,000 (2020)
How common is obesity?
42% of adults in Palau are obese, versus 3.3% in Timor-Leste.
Palau: 42.1% (2024) · Timor-Leste: 3.3% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
49% of adults in Timor-Leste smoke, versus 23% in Palau.
Palau: 23% (2024) · Timor-Leste: 48.8% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How much do people drink?
Palau: no data · Timor-Leste: 0.2 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Palau: no data · Timor-Leste: 31.8 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Palau: no data · Timor-Leste: 2,277 kcal (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Palau went to school 7.1 years longer than in Timor-Leste.
Palau: 13.3 years (2023) · Timor-Leste: 6.2 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Palau welcomed 85 times as many tourists per resident as Timor-Leste (2019).
Palau: 5.28 (2019) · Timor-Leste: 0.06 (2019)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
84% of people in Palau are online, versus 35% in Timor-Leste.
Palau: 84% (2024) · Timor-Leste: 35% (2021)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in Palau have electricity, versus 94% in Timor-Leste.
Palau: 100% (2024) · Timor-Leste: 94.3% (2024)
How many live in cities?
79% of people in Palau live in cities, versus 29% in Timor-Leste.
Palau: 79% (2025) · Timor-Leste: 29% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Palau has 135 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Timor-Leste 116.
Palau: 135 (2023) · Timor-Leste: 116 (2024)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 91% of Palau, but only 62% of Timor-Leste.
Palau: 90.5% (2023) · Timor-Leste: 61.7% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Palau emits 27 times as much CO₂ as someone in Timor-Leste.
Palau: 12.8 t (2024) · Timor-Leste: 0.5 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
Palau: no data · Timor-Leste: 0% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in Timor-Leste carries 3.3 times as much fine dust as in Palau.
Palau: 3.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Timor-Leste: 10.8 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 2.8 times as likely to be murdered in Palau as in Timor-Leste.
Palau: 11.2 per 100k (2018) · Timor-Leste: 4.1 per 100k (2015)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Palau are 85% deadlier than in Timor-Leste.
Palau: 22.2 per 100k (2021) · Timor-Leste: 12 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Palau: no data · Timor-Leste: 24.9°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Palau: no data · Timor-Leste: 1,817 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Palau bigger than Timor-Leste?
Timor-Leste is larger. Palau fits inside Timor-Leste 32 times.
Which has more people, Palau or Timor-Leste?
Timor-Leste has 80 times as many people as Palau (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Palau or Timor-Leste?
People in Palau live 1.5 years longer than in Timor-Leste. Life expectancy at birth is 69.4 years in Palau and 67.9 in Timor-Leste.
Are people taller in Palau or Timor-Leste?
Men in Palau are 10.5 cm taller than in Timor-Leste (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
