Northern Mariana Islands vs Palau
Palau and Northern Mariana Islands are almost exactly the same size.
Northern Mariana IslandsPalauNorthern Mariana Islands moved onto Palau · Equal-area projection
1.0×
Northern Mariana Islands is 1.0× the area of Palau. Put the other way, Palau is 1.0× the size of Northern Mariana Islands.
 Northern Mariana Islands |  Palau | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | ||
| AreaAbout the same area | 464 km² | 466 km²#180 of 194 |
| Coastline | Coast, no land border | Coast, no land border |
| Land neighbours | 0 | 0 |
| People | ||
| PopulationNorthern Mariana Islands: 2.47× the population | 43,5412025 | 17,663#192 of 194 · 2025 |
| DensityNorthern Mariana Islands: 2.48× the density | 94 / km² | 38 / km²#143 of 194 |
| Urban populationNorthern Mariana Islands: 1.16× the urban share | 92%2025 | 79%#46 of 192 · 2025 |
| Fertility rateNorthern Mariana Islands: 1.23× the births per woman | 2.32 per woman2024 | 1.88 per woman#103 of 192 · 2024 |
| Population growthPalau: 1.50 points higher | −1.68%2025 | −0.18%#172 of 192 · 2025 |
| Birth rateNorthern Mariana Islands: 1.13× the birth rate | 12.1 per 1,0002024 | 10.7 per 1,000#130 of 192 · 2024 |
| Death ratePalau: 2.34× the death rate | 5.0 per 1,0002024 | 11.7 per 1,000#19 of 192 · 2024 |
| Children under 15Northern Mariana Islands: 3.3 points higher | 21.2%2025 | 17.9%#129 of 192 · 2025 |
| People over 65Palau: 1.0 points higher | 10.8%2025 | 11.8%#72 of 192 · 2025 |
| Net migrationPalau: 21.2 per 1,000 higher | −22.1 per 1,0002025 | −0.9 per 1,000#114 of 192 · 2025 |
| Refugees abroad | — | 0.28 per 1,000#89 of 190 · 2023 |
| Health & education | ||
| Life expectancyNorthern Mariana Islands: 9.5 years longer | 78.9 years2024 | 69.4 years#133 of 192 · 2024 |
| Infant mortality | — | 18.6 per 1,000 births#71 of 191 · 2024 |
| Doctors | — | 1.81 per 1,000#87 of 178 · 2023 |
| University enrolment | — | 71.8%#42 of 145 · 2024 |
| Human Development Index | — | 0.786#83 of 190 · 2023 |
| Economy | ||
| GNI per capita | — | $19,890#54 of 185 · 2025 |
| GDPNorthern Mariana Islands: 3.18× the economy | $1.1B2022 | $345M2025 |
| Income group | High income | High income |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | — | $23,052#82 of 184 · 2025 |
| GDP growthNorthern Mariana Islands: 10.3 points higher | +16.6%2022 | +6.3%#26 of 187 · 2025 |
| Inflation | — | −0.4%#170 of 176 · 2025 |
| Foreign investment | — | 16.6% of GDP#8 of 184 · 2025 |
| ExportsPalau: 10.4 points higher | 22.3% of GDP2022 | 32.7% of GDP#90 of 168 · 2024 |
| Internet users | — | 84%#82 of 184 · 2024 |
| Mobile subscriptions | — | 135 per 100#43 of 191 · 2023 |
| Energy & environment | ||
| Forest areaPalau: 1.7× the forest share | 53% of land2024 | 91% of land#4 of 192 · 2024 |
| CO₂ per person | 0.00 t a year2024 | 82.8 t a year#1 of 185 · 2024 |
| Renewable energyPalau: 0.4 points higher | 0.5%2022 | 0.9%#179 of 190 · 2022 |
| Access to electricityThe same | 100.0%2024 | 100.0%#1 of 192 · 2024 |
| Air pollution (PM2.5)Palau: 1.81× the air pollution | 2.7 µg/m³2023 | 4.9 µg/m³#183 of 191 · 2023 |
| Protected landPalau: 28.6 points higher | 2.8% of land2025 | 31.4% of land#28 of 191 · 2025 |
| Arable landPalau: 0.4 points higher | 0.3% of land2024 | 0.7% of land#178 of 190 · 2024 |
| Governance & safety | ||
| Political stability | — | +1.30#12 of 193 · 2025 |
| Control of corruption | — | +0.51#59 of 193 · 2025 |
| Homicide rate | — | 11.2 per 100,000#27 of 146 · 2018 |
| State | ||
| Status | Territory of United States of America | Independent state |
| Government | Dependent territorya commonwealth in political union with and under the sovereignty of the US; republican form of government with separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches | Presidential republicpresidential republic in free association with the US |
| Capital | Saipan | Koror |
| Currency | United States dollar (USD) | United States dollar (USD) |
| Official languages | English, Chamorro, Carolinian | English, Japanese, Palauan |
| Traffic drives | On the right | On the right |
| Time zone | UTC+10 | UTC+9 |
| Calling code | +1 670 | +680 |
| Region | Micronesia, Oceania | Micronesia, Oceania |
Area: Wikidata. Population, income, health, economy, environment and governance: World Bank. Human Development Index: UNDP. Government: CIA World Factbook. Ranks among the 194 independent states. All sources
Why the map you grew up with disagrees
On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Northern Mariana Islands sits at about 16° N and is stretched to 1.08× its true area; Palau at 7° N is stretched to 1.02×. Here the two are distorted about the same amount, so Mercator gets this pair roughly right. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Questions about this pair
- Is Northern Mariana Islands bigger than Palau?
- No. Northern Mariana Islands and Palau are almost exactly the same size. Northern Mariana Islands covers 464 km² and Palau covers 466 km².
- How many times does Northern Mariana Islands fit into Palau?
- About 1.0 times: Palau has 1.0× the area of Northern Mariana Islands.
- Why do Northern Mariana Islands and Palau look different on Google Maps?
- Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Northern Mariana Islands is drawn about 1.08× its true area there and Palau about 1.02×. For this pair the distortion is similar, so Mercator gets the comparison roughly right. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
- Which has more people, Northern Mariana Islands or Palau?
- Northern Mariana Islands: 43,541 people against 17,663. Density: Northern Mariana Islands 94 per km², Palau 38 per km².
- Where do people live longer, Northern Mariana Islands or Palau?
- In Northern Mariana Islands: life expectancy at birth is 78.9 years, against 69.4 — 9.5 years longer (World Bank, 2024).
- What kind of government do Northern Mariana Islands and Palau have?
- By constitution, as the CIA World Factbook describes them — Northern Mariana Islands: dependent territory; Palau: presidential republic.