Population growth rate in Palau

Palau: Population growth rate was -0.2% in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
-0.2%
Change on year
down 86.3%
World rank
194th
of 236 countries
All-time high
3.8%
in 1971
All-time low
-1.8%
in 2011
Years of data
74
1950–2023

Population growth rate in Palau, 1950–2023

-2024195019862023

Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2023, population growth rate in Palau stood at -0.2%.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 86.3% on the previous year and down 160.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, population growth rate in Palau peaked at 3.8% in 1971 and was at its lowest, -1.8%, in 2011.

Palau ranks 194th of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Population growth rate in Palau, year by year

Annual values for Population growth rate in Palau, 1950 to 2023.
Year % Change
1950 2.7%
1951 2.0% -24.9%
1952 2.3% +12.6%
1953 2.5% +10.4%
1954 2.6% +5.3%
1955 2.3% -10.6%
1956 1.8% -21.4%
1957 1.7% -6.7%
1958 1.8% +4.8%
1959 2.6% +45.5%
1960 2.3% -11.9%
1961 2.5% +9.0%
1962 2.4% -4.1%
1963 2.5% +4.2%
1964 2.5% -0.2%
1965 2.4% -4.3%
1966 2.4% +0.7%
1967 1.0% -60.1%
1968 0.7% -27.0%
1969 0.7% +1.8%
1970 3.0% +315.9%
1971 3.8% +26.1%
1972 3.5% -6.6%
1973 2.3% -34.6%
1974 -0.1% -106.5%
1975 -0.3% +132.0%
1976 -0.5% +57.5%
1977 -0.6% +12.2%
1978 -0.8% +24.2%
1979 -0.9% +16.8%
1980 -0.2% -79.9%
1981 2.3% -1374.9%
1982 2.4% +4.6%
1983 2.5% +3.1%
1984 2.6% +4.2%
1985 2.6% +2.8%
1986 2.2% -16.4%
1987 2.2% -1.5%
1988 2.1% -1.8%
1989 1.9% -9.6%
1990 2.2% +15.6%
1991 2.4% +6.6%
1992 2.4% -0.5%
1993 2.4% +0.5%
1994 2.4% +1.9%
1995 2.6% +6.7%
1996 2.7% +4.0%
1997 2.4% -10.7%
1998 2.2% -10.1%
1999 1.9% -12.8%
2000 1.0% -44.7%
2001 0.8% -26.3%
2002 0.8% +2.6%
2003 0.8% +3.7%
2004 0.8% +1.0%
2005 -0.8% -202.6%
2006 -1.4% +72.0%
2007 -1.5% +6.5%
2008 -1.5% -1.6%
2009 -1.7% +8.7%
2010 -1.7% +4.3%
2011 -1.8% +3.1%
2012 -1.7% -3.9%
2013 0.4% -122.6%
2014 0.4% -3.1%
2015 0.2% -35.1%
2016 0.1% -72.3%
2017 0.1% +50.7%
2018 -0.1% -172.3%
2019 -0.1% +53.4%
2020 0.0% -140.2%
2021 -0.1% -424.4%
2022 -0.1% -15.1%
2023 -0.2% +86.3%

Palau compared with similar countries

  • Palau's -0.2% is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.5%. (85 countries reporting)
  • Palau's -0.2% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.7%. (37 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Population growth rate in Palau changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1981 +1374.9% -0.2% 2.3%
2021 -424.4% 0.0% -0.1%
1970 +315.9% 0.7% 3.0%
2005 -202.6% 0.8% -0.8%
2018 -172.3% 0.1% -0.1%
2020 +140.2% -0.1% 0.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 2.2% 1.7% 2.7% 10
1960s 1.9% 0.7% 2.5% 10
1970s 0.9% -0.9% 3.8% 10
1980s 2.1% -0.2% 2.6% 10
1990s 2.3% 1.9% 2.7% 10
2000s -0.3% -1.7% 1.0% 10
2010s -0.4% -1.8% 0.4% 10
2020s -0.1% -0.2% 0.0% 4

Countries ranked near Palau

  1. 191 Greenland -0.1% compare
  2. 192 Mauritius -0.2% compare
  3. 193 Italy -0.2% compare
  4. 195 China -0.2% compare
  5. 196 Hong Kong -0.3% compare
  6. 197 Azerbaijan -0.3% compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for Palau

All data for Palau →

Frequently asked questions

What is population growth rate in Palau?
Population growth rate in Palau was -0.2% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest population growth rate recorded in Palau?
The highest recorded value was 3.8% in 1971.
What is the lowest population growth rate recorded in Palau?
The lowest recorded value was -1.8% in 2011.
How does Palau rank for population growth rate?
Palau ranks 194th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is population growth rate rising or falling in Palau?
Over the last ten years it is down 160.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Palau data come from?
The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Population growth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Population growth rate in Palau. Statizoid, drawing on UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/population-growth-rates/palau/

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About this data

Indicator
Population growth rate
Unit
%
Source
UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 17,464 data points, 1950–2023
Last refreshed

Annual rate at which the population is growing, expressed as a percentage.