Number of people living in urban and rural areas in Palau
Palau: Number of people living in urban and rural areas was 14,004 people in 2025. ▲ Rising
Number of people living in urban and rural areas in Palau, 1950–2025
Source: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
Palau recorded 14,004 people for number of people living in urban and rural areas in 2025.
The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in urban and rural areas in Palau peaked at 15,374 people in 2005 and was at its lowest, 1,923 people, in 1950.
That places Palau 223rd out of 236 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 76 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2,838 people | 1,923 people | 3,816 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 5,336 people | 4,094 people | 6,403 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 7,472 people | 6,631 people | 7,736 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 9,024 people | 7,669 people | 10,344 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 12,018 people | 10,610 people | 13,172 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 14,704 people | 13,346 people | 15,374 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 14,354 people | 14,110 people | 14,839 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 14,039 people | 14,004 people | 14,070 people | 6 |
Countries ranked near Palau
- 220 Guernsey 19,082 people compare
- 221 Saint Kitts and Nevis 14,968 people compare
- 222 Anguilla 14,728 people compare
- 224 Nauru 12,025 people compare
- 225 Saint Barthelemy 11,414 people compare
- 226 Cook Islands 10,199 people compare
More population data for Palau
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.6% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 539 people (2100)
- Population density 24.23 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.6% (2100)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 1.88 births per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 1.88 births per woman (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 1.88 births per woman (2024)
- Natural population growth rate -0.1% (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 1.91 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate vs. GDP per capita 1.91 live births per woman (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in urban and rural areas in Palau?
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas in Palau was 14,004 people in 2025, according to United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of people living in urban and rural areas recorded in Palau?
- The highest recorded value was 15,374 people in 2005.
- What is the lowest number of people living in urban and rural areas recorded in Palau?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,923 people in 1950.
- How does Palau rank for number of people living in urban and rural areas?
- Palau ranks 223rd out of 236 countries with data for 2025.
- Is number of people living in urban and rural areas rising or falling in Palau?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Palau data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of people living in urban and rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of people living in urban areas, based on each country's national definition.