Good to know
Good to Know
- Palau's population is concentrated in Koror, where approximately 70% of residents live, despite the capital being Ngerulmud since 2006.
- Nearly 30% of the population is foreign-born, primarily from the Philippines, China, and Vietnam, supporting the service and tourism sectors.
- The population is aging and declining; births (10.7 per thousand) are now lower than deaths (11.7 per thousand), creating potential labor shortages.
- Palau is a high-income nation by World Bank standards, with a GDP per capita around $15,600 USD.
Population
- Year
- 2026
- Total
- 17614
- Population Density Per Km2
- 39
Gender Ratio
- Male To Female
- 1.16
- Median Male Age
- 39.85
- Median Female Age
- 39.95
- Overall Median Age
- 38.9
Population Trend
- Annual Decline Rate Percent
- -0.5
- Status
- declining
- Note
- natural population decline; deaths exceed births
Notable Nationalities
Palauan
- Percentage
- 70
- Notes
- majority population
Filipino
Chinese
Vietnamese
Carolinian
White
Foreign Born Percentage
- Percentage
- 29.5
- Year
- 2024
- Foreign Born Count
- 5212
- Note
- approximately 5,212 residents out of ~17,695 total
Business And Tech Presence
- Primary Economy
- Tourism-based with growing service sector
- GDP Per Capita USD
- 15611
- Tech Sector Specifics
- Limited; primarily tourism and government-dependent economy
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this local demographics research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Palau
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.