World Factbook
Palau
Beluu er a Belau
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Literacy
male
100% (2020 est.)
female
100% (2020 est.)
total population
100% (2020 est.)
Languages
Palauan (official on most islands) 65.2%, other Micronesian 1.9%, English (official) 19.1%, Filipino 9.9%, Chinese 1.2%, other 2.8% (2015 est.)
note: Sonsoralese is official in Sonsoral; Tobian is official in Tobi; Angaur and Japanese are official in Angaur
Religions
Roman Catholic 46.9%, Protestant 30.9% (Evangelical 24.6%, Seventh Day Adventist 5%, other Protestant 1.4%), Modekngei 5.1% (indigenous to Palau), Muslim 4.9%, other 12.3% (2020 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years
1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years
1.25 male(s)/female
total population
1.06 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
65 years and over
0.33 male(s)/female
Birth rate
11.53 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate
8.52 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median age
male
34.1 years
total
35.5 years (2025 est.)
female
37.4 years
Population
male
11,257
total
21,947 (2025 est.)
female
10,690
Nationality
noun
Palauan(s)
adjective
Palauan
Tobacco use
male
25.2% (2025 est.)
total
16.3% (2025 est.)
female
6.8% (2025 est.)
Urbanization
urban population
82.4% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization
1.59% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
17.5% (male 1,976/female 1,849)
15-64 years
71.3% (male 8,647/female 6,935)
65 years and over
11.2% (2024 est.) (male 612/female 1,845)
Ethnic groups
Palauan (Micronesian with Malayan and Melanesian admixtures) 70.6%, Carolinian 1.2%, Asian 26.5%, other 1.7% (2020 est.)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio
41.6 (2025 est.)
youth dependency ratio
24.9 (2025 est.)
potential support ratio
6 (2025 est.)
elderly dependency ratio
16.7 (2025 est.)
Physician density
1.81 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
Health expenditure
Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
16.4% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
9.5% of national budget (2022 est.)
Net migration rate
0.77 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.7 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Drinking water source
improved: rural
rural: 99.4% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total
total: 99.6% of population (2022 est.)
improved: urban
urban: 99.6% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural
rural: 0.6% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total
total: 0.4% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban
urban: 0.4% of population (2022 est.)
Education expenditure
Education expenditure (% GDP)
3.5% of GDP (2023 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget)
9.8% national budget (2023 est.)
Infant mortality rate
male
12.7 deaths/1,000 live births
total
10.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
female
8.8 deaths/1,000 live births
Population growth rate
0.38% (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate
0.83 (2025 est.)
Population distribution
most of the population is located on the southern end of the main island of Babelthuap
Life expectancy at birth
male
72 years
female
78.5 years
total population
75.2 years (2024 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio
89 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Sanitation facility access
improved: rural
rural: 98.4% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total
total: 99% of population (2022 est.)
improved: urban
urban: 99.1% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural
rural: 1.6% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total
total: 1% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban
urban: 0.9% of population (2022 est.)
Major urban areas - population
277 NGERULMUD (capital) (2018)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
55.3% (2016)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
48.3% (2020 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
male
14 years (2023 est.)
total
15 years (2023 est.)
female
16 years (2023 est.)