Population growth in Palau
Palau: Population growth was -0.2% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Population growth in Palau, 1961–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
Palau recorded -0.2% for population growth in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.2% on the previous year and down 158.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in Palau peaked at 3.6% in 1972 and was at its lowest, -1.7%, in 2012.
That places Palau 189th out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population growth in Palau, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2.4% | — |
| 1962 | 2.5% | +2.3% |
| 1963 | 2.5% | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 2.5% | +1.9% |
| 1965 | 2.4% | -2.4% |
| 1966 | 2.4% | -1.3% |
| 1967 | 1.7% | -30.5% |
| 1968 | 0.8% | -50.4% |
| 1969 | 0.7% | -14.8% |
| 1970 | 1.9% | +161.2% |
| 1971 | 3.4% | +82.2% |
| 1972 | 3.6% | +7.4% |
| 1973 | 2.9% | -20.3% |
| 1974 | 1.1% | -63.0% |
| 1975 | -0.3% | -123.6% |
| 1976 | -0.5% | +78.8% |
| 1977 | -0.6% | +28.7% |
| 1978 | -0.7% | +17.2% |
| 1979 | -0.8% | +22.1% |
| 1980 | -0.5% | -35.5% |
| 1981 | 1.1% | -298.0% |
| 1982 | 2.3% | +119.2% |
| 1983 | 2.4% | +4.3% |
| 1984 | 2.5% | +3.5% |
| 1985 | 2.6% | +3.4% |
| 1986 | 2.4% | -6.6% |
| 1987 | 2.2% | -9.8% |
| 1988 | 2.1% | -1.8% |
| 1989 | 2.0% | -5.5% |
| 1990 | 2.1% | +2.5% |
| 1991 | 2.3% | +10.6% |
| 1992 | 2.4% | +3.2% |
| 1993 | 2.4% | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 2.4% | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 2.5% | +4.2% |
| 1996 | 2.6% | +5.3% |
| 1997 | 2.5% | -3.6% |
| 1998 | 2.3% | -10.5% |
| 1999 | 2.0% | -11.3% |
| 2000 | 1.5% | -27.8% |
| 2001 | 0.9% | -37.9% |
| 2002 | 0.8% | -13.9% |
| 2003 | 0.8% | +2.5% |
| 2004 | 0.8% | +2.4% |
| 2005 | -0.0% | -100.6% |
| 2006 | -1.1% | +22630.4% |
| 2007 | -1.5% | +30.5% |
| 2008 | -1.5% | +2.2% |
| 2009 | -1.6% | +4.0% |
| 2010 | -1.7% | +6.1% |
| 2011 | -1.7% | +3.4% |
| 2012 | -1.7% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | -0.7% | -62.2% |
| 2014 | 0.4% | -157.3% |
| 2015 | 0.3% | -18.2% |
| 2016 | 0.2% | -51.0% |
| 2017 | 0.1% | -44.5% |
| 2018 | 0.0% | -86.7% |
| 2019 | -0.1% | -900.3% |
| 2020 | -0.0% | -62.5% |
| 2021 | -0.1% | +50.1% |
| 2022 | -0.1% | +166.9% |
| 2023 | -0.2% | +33.5% |
| 2024 | -0.2% | +0.2% |
| 2025 | -0.2% | +0.2% |
Palau compared with similar countries
- Palau's -0.2% is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.4%. (85 countries reporting)
- Palau's -0.2% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.6%. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth in Palau changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | -22630.4% | -0.0% | -1.1% |
| 2019 | -900.3% | 0.0% | -0.1% |
| 1981 | +298.0% | -0.5% | 1.1% |
| 1970 | +161.2% | 0.7% | 1.9% |
| 2022 | -166.9% | -0.1% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | +157.3% | -0.7% | 0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.0% | 0.7% | 2.5% | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.0% | -0.8% | 3.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.9% | -0.5% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.3% | 2.0% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | -0.1% | -1.6% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | -0.5% | -1.7% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.1% | -0.2% | -0.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Palau
More climate change data for Palau
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 35,574 kg (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 0.1855 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 0.1855 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.0007 kt (2050)
- Synthetic Fertilizers — Emissions (CO2eq) 0.1855 kt (2050)
- Synthetic Fertilizers — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 0.1855 kt (2050)
- Synthetic Fertilizers — Emissions 0.0007 kt (2050)
- Synthetic Fertilizers — Direct emissions 0.0006 kt (2050)
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Indirect emissions (N2O that) 0.0001 kt (2050)
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Indirect emissions (N2O that leaches) 0.0001 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in Palau?
- Population growth in Palau was -0.2% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in Palau?
- The highest recorded value was 3.6% in 1972.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in Palau?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.7% in 2012.
- How does Palau rank for population growth?
- Palau ranks 189th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Palau?
- Over the last ten years it is down 158.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Palau data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.