Country or area · Micronesia (region) · Oceania · UN WPP 2024

Palau population

Palau population now

17,601

A projection read at this second, not a count: the UN's totals for 1 January 2026 and 2027, joined by a straight line. 95% range for 31 December 2026: 16,799–18,327.

Mid-2023, UN estimate: 17,728

Year: 2026; projection · medium
Population, mid-2026: 17,617; 95% range, 31 Dec: 16,799–18,327
Median age: 39.9
Aged 65+: 12.4%

Move through time, 1950–2100

2023 | 2024

male female projection · one cell = 5 people

How to read this: one row for each age, newborns at the bottom; men on the left, women on the right.

Verified 2026-09-30 · 73 canaries

PLW · 1950–2100 · in brief

Palau in numbers

17,728 people lived in Palau in mid-2023: less than 0.01% of the world's people, and the 224th-largest population of the 236 countries and areas the UN reports. That is 2.4 times its 1950 population of 7,474.

Its population peaked in 2004 at 19,821 and has been falling since. The UN's medium projection has 11,126 in 2100. The projection is uncertain: on 1 January 2100 the UN's 95% range runs from 2,580 to 48,847.

Since 2021, more people have died here each year than have been born, and the UN's projection has that holding every year to 2100.

The median age was 18.6 in 1950 and 38.8 in 2023; the projection has 45.4 in 2100. 10.8% of people were 65 or older in 2023, against 24.1% projected for 2100. The working-age population (15–64) peaked in 2005 at 13,974; in 2023 it was 12,520.

Its place in the world by population: 224th in 2023, 225th in 2050, 226th in 2100. It is overtaken by Nauru in 2050 and Tuvalu in 2088.

Population, mid-2023: 17,728
Rank by population, 2023: 224 of 236
Share of the world, 2023: less than 0.01%
Change in a year, mid-2022 to mid-2023: −0.17% · −31 people
People per km² of land, 2023: 39
Land area, 2023: 460 km²
Births, 2023: 193
Deaths, 2023: 204
Net migration, 2023: −19
Children per woman, 2023: 1.91
Median age, 2023: 38.8 years
Life expectancy at birth, 2023: 69.3 years
In a city, 2025: 0 of every 100
Population, mid-1950: 7,474
Projected, mid-2050: 15,518
Projected, mid-2100: 11,126

PLW · 1950–2100 · total population

Population, 1950–2100

estimates | projections010 k20 k30 k40 k50 k1950197520002025205020752100

estimate projection, up to the bottom of the 95% range 95% range medium projection. Every column stands for a single year, counted on 1 January, and the paper rules slice it into cells of equal size.

Show the numbers: Palau, 1950–2100

Palau: population on 1 January, births, deaths, fertility and life expectancy, 1950–2100
Year	Kind	Population, 1 Jan	95% range	Births	Deaths	Children per woman	Life expectancy
1950	estimate	7,375		346	154	7.15	52.7
1951	estimate	7,574		353	152	7.15	52.9
1952	estimate	7,727		361	149	7.16	53.1
1953	estimate	7,903		368	147	7.16	53.3
1954	estimate	8,102		376	145	7.17	53.5
1955	estimate	8,317		384	142	7.18	53.7
1956	estimate	8,514		392	140	7.17	53.9
1957	estimate	8,672		404	138	7.18	54.1
1958	estimate	8,822		417	136	7.19	54.4
1959	estimate	8,982		427	135	7.19	54.6
1960	estimate	9,220		432	136	7.19	54.9
1961	estimate	9,435		433	135	7.17	55.1
1962	estimate	9,675		430	134	7.14	55.4
1963	estimate	9,911		425	134	7.12	55.6
1964	estimate	10,163		417	134	7.08	55.8
1965	estimate	10,421		409	135	7.01	55.9
1966	estimate	10,674		403	135	6.93	56.2
1967	estimate	10,935		401	136	6.84	56.5
1968	estimate	11,041		410	136	6.71	56.9
1969	estimate	11,119		418	136	6.58	57.3
1970	estimate	11,199		421	135	6.39	57.7
1971	estimate	11,538		420	134	6.16	58.1
1972	estimate	11,980		414	135	5.90	58.6
1973	estimate	12,408		403	135	5.59	59.0
1974	estimate	12,696		391	135	5.26	59.5
1975	estimate	12,677		379	131	4.90	60.0
1976	estimate	12,633		363	127	4.53	60.5
1977	estimate	12,564		337	123	4.09	60.9
1978	estimate	12,487		313	120	3.74	61.3
1979	estimate	12,392		294	118	3.49	61.6
1980	estimate	12,282		280	116	3.35	61.9
1981	estimate	12,260		276	116	3.28	62.1
1982	estimate	12,543		288	117	3.22	62.3
1983	estimate	12,846		296	119	3.14	62.5
1984	estimate	13,166		303	122	3.08	62.6
1985	estimate	13,508		306	125	3.01	62.7
1986	estimate	13,869		310	128	2.98	62.8
1987	estimate	14,178		316	133	2.93	62.8
1988	estimate	14,489		322	140	2.90	62.8
1989	estimate	14,801		332	147	2.92	62.8
1990	estimate	15,089		336	155	2.88	62.8
1991	estimate	15,429		333	159	2.74	62.9
1992	estimate	15,800		345	162	2.71	62.9
1993	estimate	16,178		361	165	2.73	63.0
1994	estimate	16,567		363	168	2.66	63.1
1995	estimate	16,973		356	171	2.55	63.3
1996	estimate	17,417		340	174	2.39	63.5
1997	estimate	17,891		317	177	2.19	63.7
1998	estimate	18,325		296	181	2.01	64.0
1999	estimate	18,724		286	185	1.91	64.2
2000	estimate	19,079		276	190	1.82	64.5
2001	estimate	19,278		280	193	1.87	64.8
2002	estimate	19,426		282	194	1.92	65.1
2003	estimate	19,579		281	194	1.96	65.5
2004	estimate	19,739		278	195	1.99	65.8
2005	estimate	19,902		276	196	2.02	66.2
2006	estimate	19,735		271	192	2.00	66.6
2007	estimate	19,451		265	186	1.97	67.1
2008	estimate	19,153		260	180	1.95	67.6
2009	estimate	18,864		255	175	1.94	68.0
2010	estimate	18,555		251	170	1.94	68.3
2011	estimate	18,238		249	166	1.97	68.6
2012	estimate	17,917		249	162	2.01	68.9
2013	estimate	17,614		247	160	2.05	69.0
2014	estimate	17,682		237	164	2.03	69.1
2015	estimate	17,748		224	169	2.00	69.1
2016	estimate	17,791		227	174	2.06	69.0
2017	estimate	17,803		222	179	2.02	69.0
2018	estimate	17,821		214	184	1.97	69.0
2019	estimate	17,808		212	189	1.98	69.0
2020	estimate	17,788		207	198	1.97	68.7
2021	estimate	17,796		202	205	1.95	68.6
2022	estimate	17,770		197	204	1.93	68.9
2023	estimate	17,748		193	204	1.91	69.3
2024	estimate	17,707		189	208	1.88	69.4
2025	projection	17,684	17,439–17,892	186	211	1.86	69.5
2026	projection	17,641	17,136–18,080	184	215	1.84	69.6
2027	projection	17,588	16,799–18,327	183	219	1.82	69.7
2028	projection	17,539	16,419–18,561	182	223	1.81	69.8
2029	projection	17,469	16,017–18,840	181	227	1.80	69.9
2030	projection	17,410	15,617–19,081	181	231	1.79	70.0
2031	projection	17,342	15,214–19,375	181	235	1.78	70.2
2032	projection	17,262	14,884–19,686	181	239	1.77	70.3
2033	projection	17,202	14,547–20,100	181	243	1.76	70.4
2034	projection	17,130	14,166–20,375	182	247	1.76	70.5
2035	projection	17,054	13,831–20,659	181	250	1.75	70.6
2036	projection	16,976	13,350–21,015	181	253	1.75	70.7
2037	projection	16,907	13,021–21,333	181	257	1.75	70.8
2038	projection	16,817	12,627–21,788	180	260	1.74	70.9
2039	projection	16,739	12,322–22,300	180	262	1.74	71.0
2040	projection	16,643	11,923–22,711	178	265	1.74	71.2
2041	projection	16,561	11,611–23,050	177	267	1.74	71.3
2042	projection	16,457	11,246–23,464	175	268	1.74	71.4
2043	projection	16,351	10,855–23,775	173	270	1.73	71.5
2044	projection	16,257	10,489–23,971	171	271	1.73	71.6
2045	projection	16,143	10,264–24,321	169	272	1.73	71.7
2046	projection	16,035	9,737–24,610	167	272	1.73	71.8
2047	projection	15,923	9,359–24,906	164	272	1.72	72.0
2048	projection	15,808	9,131–25,454	162	271	1.72	72.1
2049	projection	15,693	8,823–26,139	160	270	1.72	72.2
2050	projection	15,573	8,545–26,513	157	269	1.72	72.3
2051	projection	15,464	8,360–26,843	154	268	1.72	72.4
2052	projection	15,343	7,958–26,792	152	266	1.71	72.5
2053	projection	15,217	7,763–27,296	150	264	1.71	72.7
2054	projection	15,095	7,469–27,545	148	262	1.71	72.8
2055	projection	14,972	7,236–27,958	147	260	1.71	72.9
2056	projection	14,848	6,989–28,452	145	258	1.71	73.0
2057	projection	14,728	6,689–28,778	144	255	1.71	73.1
2058	projection	14,599	6,468–29,342	143	253	1.70	73.3
2059	projection	14,489	6,229–29,664	142	250	1.71	73.4
2060	projection	14,368	6,032–30,215	142	248	1.70	73.5
2061	projection	14,261	5,837–30,828	141	245	1.70	73.6
2062	projection	14,146	5,664–31,553	140	242	1.70	73.8
2063	projection	14,035	5,482–32,114	140	239	1.70	73.9
2064	projection	13,930	5,300–32,300	139	236	1.70	74.0
2065	projection	13,828	5,076–32,646	139	234	1.70	74.2
2066	projection	13,733	4,912–33,343	138	231	1.70	74.3
2067	projection	13,631	4,666–33,884	137	228	1.70	74.4
2068	projection	13,535	4,501–34,397	137	225	1.70	74.6
2069	projection	13,440	4,392–35,441	136	222	1.69	74.7
2070	projection	13,348	4,299–35,756	135	219	1.69	74.8
2071	projection	13,261	4,168–35,798	134	216	1.69	75.0
2072	projection	13,170	4,085–35,993	133	213	1.69	75.1
2073	projection	13,100	4,021–36,322	132	210	1.69	75.2
2074	projection	13,016	3,911–36,746	131	207	1.69	75.4
2075	projection	12,923	3,818–37,104	130	205	1.69	75.5
2076	projection	12,847	3,757–37,955	129	202	1.69	75.6
2077	projection	12,767	3,713–37,815	128	200	1.69	75.8
2078	projection	12,690	3,630–38,149	126	197	1.69	75.9
2079	projection	12,617	3,490–38,970	125	195	1.69	76.0
2080	projection	12,546	3,408–39,138	123	193	1.69	76.2
2081	projection	12,466	3,375–39,475	122	191	1.69	76.3
2082	projection	12,391	3,350–39,877	121	189	1.69	76.4
2083	projection	12,325	3,260–40,512	120	188	1.69	76.5
2084	projection	12,260	3,239–40,569	118	186	1.69	76.7
2085	projection	12,180	3,125–41,052	117	185	1.69	76.8
2086	projection	12,118	3,075–41,691	116	184	1.69	77.0
2087	projection	12,049	2,994–41,858	115	183	1.69	77.1
2088	projection	11,977	2,885–42,101	114	182	1.69	77.2
2089	projection	11,916	2,810–43,097	113	181	1.69	77.3
2090	projection	11,838	2,751–43,157	112	180	1.69	77.5
2091	projection	11,761	2,672–43,444	112	180	1.69	77.6
2092	projection	11,690	2,692–43,553	111	179	1.69	77.7
2093	projection	11,624	2,658–44,062	110	179	1.69	77.8
2094	projection	11,557	2,648–44,628	110	178	1.69	78.0
2095	projection	11,493	2,616–45,420	109	177	1.69	78.1
2096	projection	11,425	2,578–46,582	109	177	1.69	78.2
2097	projection	11,360	2,587–47,260	108	176	1.69	78.4
2098	projection	11,289	2,596–48,136	108	175	1.68	78.5
2099	projection	11,224	2,598–48,638	107	173	1.69	78.6
2100	projection	11,160	2,580–48,847	107	172	1.69	78.8

Show the numbers: Palau, mid-2026, by single year of age

Palau: population by single year of age, mid-2026
Age	Male	Female
0	94	88
1	95	88
2	96	90
3	98	92
4	100	94
5	103	96
6	100	96
7	100	97
8	106	98
9	112	101
10	117	102
11	122	104
12	126	106
13	128	110
14	127	114
15	126	116
16	122	119
17	120	120
18	121	121
19	118	120
20	115	114
21	116	110
22	114	105
23	109	98
24	102	94
25	93	88
26	88	84
27	86	79
28	92	81
29	105	88
30	119	88
31	134	94
32	148	103
33	157	110
34	164	115
35	167	110
36	160	110
37	152	112
38	152	112
39	154	112
40	157	110
41	156	112
42	158	108
43	162	108
44	160	109
45	160	112
46	160	116
47	159	118
48	158	120
49	158	122
50	158	122
51	160	122
52	160	124
53	156	123
54	154	119
55	152	118
56	148	118
57	141	118
58	137	118
59	137	120
60	133	120
61	126	114
62	120	113
63	116	113
64	111	110
65	104	106
66	98	99
67	94	93
68	86	88
69	80	82
70	75	76
71	68	74
72	60	70
73	53	65
74	46	60
75	41	49
76	36	41
77	32	38
78	28	32
79	22	27
80	19	24
81	14	22
82	12	21
83	11	19
84	9	14
85	8	10
86	6	10
87	4	9
88	2	8
89	2	7
90	2	5
91	1	4
92	1	3
93	0	2
94	0	2
95	0	1
96	0	1
97	0	0
98	0	0
99	0	0
100+	0	0

PLW · 1950–2100 · every age, every year

Palau, every age in every year

Each column is a year and each row an age; the denser the ink in a cell, the more people. Everyone born in the same year climbs one 45° diagonal, so famines, baby booms and migration show up as streaks. Select a cell to follow its generation.

PLW · ages 15–64

Who does the work in Palau

Palau had the most working-age people it is ever expected to have in 2005: 13,974 people aged 15–64, against 12,517 in 2023.

100 aged 15–64

26 children

15 aged 65+

aged 15–64 children under 15 aged 65 and over

How to read this: the orange squares are 100 people aged 15–64 in 2023, and the rows below are how many children (teal) and how many people aged 65 or older (violet) lived alongside them.

Fewer than 50 dependants live alongside every 100 people aged 15–64 in 42 years: 1996–2037.

fewer than 50 dependants per 100 the same, projected 50 or more

How to read this: the strip runs 1950 to 2100. Coloured years are the ones with under 50 dependants for every 100 people aged 15–64; grey years are the rest, and a hatched year has not happened yet.

How every country compares

PLW · arrivals minus departures

Who arrives in Palau, and who leaves

In 2020–2025 Palau loses 12 people a year: everyone who arrives, minus everyone who leaves. The age at which that happens most is 20–24, at 6 a year more leaving than arriving.

one square = 1 person a year

020406080+

more arrive than leave more leave than arrive

How to read this: left to right is age, from babies to 100. Blue squares above the line are ages at which more people arrive than leave; orange squares below it, ages at which more leave than arrive. These are the UN's projection for 2020–2025. There is no record of migration by age before 2020.

Its best and worst years between 1950 and 2023: a gain of 312 (1996), and a loss of 405 (2011).

In 2024, 5,212 people living in Palau had been born in another country, 30 of every 100 people there, against 18 in 1990.

How migration works everywhere

PLW · births by the mother's age · 1950–2100

Who has the babies in Palau

Of every 100 babies born in Palau in 2023, 9 had a mother under 20, 72 a mother aged 20 to 34 and 19 a mother aged 35 or older. In 1950 it was 8 under 20 and 17 aged 35 or older.

1950
8 · 75 · 17

2023
9 · 72 · 19

2050 · projected
6 · 74 · 20

The mother's age: under 20 20 to 34 35 or older projected

How to read this: each block is 100 babies born in that year, one square each, coloured by how old the mother was. The numbers under a block are the three groups, youngest mothers first.

Babies born, 2023: 193
Average age when women have a baby: 28.5 years; 29.3 in 1950
Babies a year per 1,000 girls aged 15–19: 30; 80 in 1950

Babies by the mother's age, 1950–2100

Babies born in Palau by the mother's age
Mother's age	1950	1975	2000	2023	2050 projected	2100 projected
10–14	1	2	0	0	0	0
15–19	26	47	17	17	9	2
20–24	101	137	57	42	28	11
25–29	94	91	73	49	51	30
30–34	63	50	71	48	37	38
35–39	45	39	38	27	25	21
40–44	14	11	20	9	7	5
45–49	2	2	0	1	0	0
50–54	0	0	0	0	0	0
All babies	346	379	276	193	157	107

The UN's births for each year, split by the mother's age in the UN's own proportions.

PLW · forced from home · end of 2025

Displacement in Palau

UNHCR publishes no refugees, asylum-seekers or displaced people in or from Palau at the end of 2025.

That is an absence from the record rather than a measurement. This count covers the people one agency works with, and a country it does not work in is simply not in it.

How the world's displacement is counted

PLW · of every 100 people

How people live in Palau

Of every 100 people in Palau in 2025, 39 lived in a town or suburb and 61 in the countryside.

towns and suburbs rural areas

Nearly everyone has electricity at home (2024). 16.1 of every 100 do not use the internet (2024).

How to read this: 100 squares, one for every 100th person, coloured by where they live, as the key says. The same rule is used in every country.

How the world's people live

PLW · cities · 2025

Cities in Palau

No place in Palau is big and dense enough to count as a city under the UN's rule — at least 50,000 people, living 1,500 or more to the square kilometre.

All the world's cities

Apparatus

Sources and method

Every figure on this page comes from the UN's World Population Prospects 2024: the annual country tables (estimates to 2023, projections with 95% intervals from 2024), and the population by single year of age and sex for the pyramid.

The censuses, surveys and registers behind the UN's estimates for Palau are listed, source by source, on the UN's own data sources page.

Sources: UN WPP 2024 · World Bank · UNHCR · country code lists · UN WUP 2025 · Wittgenstein Centre · WHO GHO · flag-icons · Natural Earth. Every source, its licence and how to cite it →

Checked before it was drawn

Verified 2026-09-30 · 73 canaries The pyramid for every year was checked against the published total. What that stamp counts, and what every page here has to pass before it can be built: how this site checks its figures.