Total population in Palau
Palau: Total population was 17.68 thousands in 2025. β² Rising
Total population in Palau, 1970β2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.
Analysis
In 2025, total population in Palau stood at 17.68 thousands.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 0.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total population in Palau peaked at 19.9 thousands in 2005 and was at its lowest, 11.2 thousands, in 1970.
That places Palau 218th out of 230 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 12.26 thousands | 11.2 thousands | 12.7 thousands | 10 |
| 1980s | 13.39 thousands | 12.26 thousands | 14.8 thousands | 10 |
| 1990s | 16.84 thousands | 15.09 thousands | 18.72 thousands | 10 |
| 2000s | 19.42 thousands | 18.86 thousands | 19.9 thousands | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.9 thousands | 17.61 thousands | 18.55 thousands | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.75 thousands | 17.68 thousands | 17.8 thousands | 6 |
Countries ranked near Palau
- 215 Marshall Islands 36.91 thousands compare
- 216 San Marino 33.55 thousands compare
- 217 Saint Martin (French Part) 25.49 thousands compare
- 219 Anguilla 14.67 thousands compare
- 220 Cook Islands 13.49 thousands compare
- 221 Nauru 11.99 thousands compare
More population data for Palau
- Population growth rate by level of development -0.611 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 539 (2100)
- Population density 24.23 (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.611 (2100)
- Fertility and wanted fertility 1.88 (2024)
- Fertility vs unmet contraception 1.88 (2024)
- Fertility vs contraception 1.88 (2024)
- Natural population growth -0.0598 (2023)
- Fertility rate with projections 1.91 (2023)
- Children per woman fertility rate vs level of prosperity 1.91 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total population in Palau?
- Total population in Palau was 17.68 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest total population recorded in Palau?
- The highest recorded value was 19.9 thousands in 2005.
- What is the lowest total population recorded in Palau?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.2 thousands in 1970.
- How does Palau rank for total population?
- Palau ranks 218th out of 230 countries with data for 2025.
- Is total population rising or falling in Palau?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Palau data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Total population (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV Β· JSON β 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release