At a glance
Twelve headline indicators, latest available year.
What changed in Palau
Statistically notable movements in the latest data.
- Record high2025MajorGDP per capita reached a record high of US$ 19,532 in 2025 (series since 1970).
- Record high2025MajorGDP reached a record high of US$ 345.0M in 2025 (series since 1970).
- Record high2023MajorMedian age reached a record high of 37.8 years in 2023 (series since 1950).
- Reversal2025MajorInflation turned negative in 2025 (-0.4 %, after 2.2 % in 2024).
Countries similar to Palau
Nearest peers by standardised distance on the selected dimension.
Country DNA
Percentile rank among all countries on nine dimensions. Descriptive, not a score.
2025
Key facts
Computed from the data — no model-generated numbers.
Palau's population shrank 7.9 % between 2000 and 2025, from 19,178 people to 17,663 people.
Renewables' share of electricity generation rose from 0.4 % in 2010 to 4.6 % in 2021 (+4.2 points).
Life expectancy gained 4.9 years since 2000, from 64.5 years to 69.4 years in 2024.
CO₂ emissions of 12.76 t per person are 4.3× the world median of 2.99 t (2024).
The fertility rate rose from 1.82 births/woman in 2000 to 1.88 births/woman in 2024.
Trade is worth 105.8 % of GDP (2024), above the world median of 79.7 %.
With a median age of 37.8 years, Palau ranks 63rd of 216 countries worldwide (2023).
Central government debt rose from 33.0 % of GDP in 2010 to 85.2 % in 2019.
Within East Asia & Pacific, Palau ranks 13th of 32 for GDP per capita (PPP) (intl $ 23,052, 2025).
GDP per capita rose from US$ 7,798 in 2000 to US$ 19,532 in 2025 (+150.5 % in current US dollars).
Life expectancy of 69.4 years ranks 27th of 37 in East Asia & Pacific (2024).
GDP grew 1.0 % a year on average over 2014–2025.
79.3 % of the population lived in urban areas in 2025, compared with 69.6 % in 2000.
Languages: English, Palauan
Timeline
Records, reversals and turning points across the whole history.
- 2025
- 2024
- Sharp dropInflation fell 10.6 points to 2.2 % in 2024.
- Sharp riseGDP growth rose 10.8 points to 12.0 % in 2024.
- Sharp riseTertiary enrolment rose 30.7 points to 71.8 % in 2024.
- Sharp dropTerrestrial protected areas (% of total land area) fell 12.8 points to 31.4 % in 2024.
- Sharp riseWomen in parliament rose 18.8 points to 25.0 % in 2024.
- Sharp dropInflation, GDP deflator fell 6.3 points to 3.9 % in 2024.
- Sharp riseGDP per capita growth rose 10.8 points to 12.2 % in 2024.
- Sharp dropGross debt / GDP fell 10.2 points to 66.3 % in 2024.
- Sharp dropHousehold consumption (% of GDP) fell 6.5 points to 74.6 % in 2024.
- Record highGDP growth set a new high of 12.0 % in 2024, the first since 1995.
- Record highGDP per capita set a new high of US$ 18,169 in 2024, the first since 2016.
- Record highGDP set a new high of US$ 321.5M in 2024, the first since 2016.
- Sharp dropMerchandise imports (current US$) fell 29.6 % to US$ 138.0M in 2024.
- Sharp dropIncidence of tuberculosis fell 67.1 % to 28.0 per 100,000 in 2024.
- Record highGDP per capita (PPP) set a new high of intl $ 21,059 in 2024, the first since 2019.
- Sharp dropFDI inflows fell 7.4 points to 21.5 % in 2024.
- Sharp dropMerchandise exports (current US$) fell 57.1 % to US$ 3.0M in 2024.
- Sharp riseReal GDP rose 12.0 % to US$ (2015) 259.5M in 2024.
- Sharp riseGNI per capita, PPP (current international $) rose 13.0 % to intl $ 20,810 in 2024.
- Sharp riseTrade balance rose US$ 20.5M to US$ -129.9M in 2024.
- ReversalFiscal balance turned positive in 2024 (1.2 %).
- Sharp riseOld-age dependency ratio rose 0.7 points to 16.1 % in 2024.
- Record highWomen in parliament set a new high of 25.0 % in 2024, the first since 2016.
- Record highGNI per capita set a new high of US$ 16,920 in 2024, the first since 2019.
- Record highGNI per capita, PPP (current international $) set a new high of intl $ 20,810 in 2024, the first since 2019.
- Record lowAgriculture share fell to a new low of 2.7 % in 2024, the first since 2015.
- Record highGDP (PPP) set a new high of intl $ 372.6M in 2024, the first since 2019.
- Record highImports set a new high of US$ 235.1M in 2024, the first since 2017.
Explore Palau by topic
19 topics · 174 indicators with data.
- Economy21 with data · 27 indicators
- Government & public finance11 with data · 18 indicators
- Population & demographics23 with data · 23 indicators
- Employment & wages0 with data · 19 indicators
- Income & inequality4 with data · 10 indicators
- Housing0 with data · 12 indicators
- Health17 with data · 23 indicators
- Education13 with data · 16 indicators
- Trade20 with data · 21 indicators
- Energy6 with data · 26 indicators
- Climate11 with data · 16 indicators
- Environment7 with data · 10 indicators
- Infrastructure & transportation4 with data · 10 indicators
- Digital economy & Internet6 with data · 6 indicators
- Innovation, research & technology4 with data · 9 indicators
- Agriculture & natural resources10 with data · 20 indicators
- Tourism5 with data · 5 indicators
- Security & governance3 with data · 15 indicators
- Quality of life9 with data · 14 indicators