Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Palau
Palau: Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita was 79.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
79.3%
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
74th
of 236 countries
All-time high
81.1%
in 2012
All-time low
25.7%
in 1950
Years of data
76
1950–2025
Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita 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 %.
Analysis
Palau recorded 79.3% for share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in 2025.
The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and down 1.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Palau peaked at 81.1% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 25.7%, in 1950.
Palau ranks 74th of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 76 years of available data.
Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Palau, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 25.7% | — |
| 1951 | 27.6% | +7.4% |
| 1952 | 29.5% | +6.8% |
| 1953 | 31.4% | +6.3% |
| 1954 | 33.2% | +5.8% |
| 1955 | 34.9% | +5.3% |
| 1956 | 36.6% | +4.9% |
| 1957 | 38.3% | +4.4% |
| 1958 | 39.9% | +4.2% |
| 1959 | 41.9% | +5.1% |
| 1960 | 43.9% | +4.7% |
| 1961 | 45.8% | +4.3% |
| 1962 | 47.6% | +3.9% |
| 1963 | 49.3% | +3.6% |
| 1964 | 50.9% | +3.3% |
| 1965 | 52.4% | +3.0% |
| 1966 | 53.8% | +2.7% |
| 1967 | 55.1% | +2.4% |
| 1968 | 56.3% | +2.2% |
| 1969 | 57.4% | +1.9% |
| 1970 | 58.3% | +1.7% |
| 1971 | 59.2% | +1.4% |
| 1972 | 59.8% | +1.2% |
| 1973 | 60.4% | +0.9% |
| 1974 | 60.8% | +0.7% |
| 1975 | 61.1% | +0.5% |
| 1976 | 61.4% | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 61.6% | +0.4% |
| 1978 | 61.8% | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 62.1% | +0.5% |
| 1980 | 62.5% | +0.6% |
| 1981 | 63.2% | +1.1% |
| 1982 | 64.2% | +1.7% |
| 1983 | 65.5% | +2.0% |
| 1984 | 66.8% | +1.9% |
| 1985 | 67.8% | +1.5% |
| 1986 | 68.3% | +0.8% |
| 1987 | 68.7% | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 68.9% | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 69.2% | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 69.5% | +0.5% |
| 1991 | 70.0% | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 70.4% | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 70.9% | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 71.2% | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 71.4% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 71.2% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 70.8% | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 70.2% | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 69.7% | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 69.6% | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 70.5% | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 72.4% | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 74.5% | +3.0% |
| 2004 | 76.4% | +2.5% |
| 2005 | 77.6% | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 78.3% | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 79.0% | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 79.7% | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 80.2% | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 80.7% | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 81.0% | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 81.1% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 81.1% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 80.7% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 80.4% | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 80.1% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 79.8% | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 79.6% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 79.3% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 79.1% | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 79.1% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 79.1% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 79.2% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 79.2% | +0.1% |
| 2025 | 79.3% | +0.1% |
Palau compared with similar countries
- Palau's 79.3% is below the median for high income countries, which is 81.3%, 97% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Palau's 79.3% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 65.4%, 1.2× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 33.9% | 25.7% | 41.9% | 10 |
| 1960s | 51.2% | 43.9% | 57.4% | 10 |
| 1970s | 60.7% | 58.3% | 62.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 66.5% | 62.5% | 69.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 70.5% | 69.5% | 71.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 75.8% | 69.6% | 80.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 80.4% | 79.3% | 81.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 79.2% | 79.1% | 79.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Palau
More population data for Palau
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.426 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.5888 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -9.22 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.5888 % change on previous year (2100)
- 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)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.7366 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population -0.2005 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Palau?
- Share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Palau was 79.3% 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 share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita recorded in Palau?
- The highest recorded value was 81.1% in 2012.
- What is the lowest share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita recorded in Palau?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.7% in 1950.
- How does Palau rank for share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita?
- Palau ranks 74th out of 236 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Palau?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.4%. 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 Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, based on each country's national definition.