Palau People - 2024

Population

21,779 (2023 est.)

Nationality

noun: Palauan(s)

adjective: Palauan

Ethnic groups

Palauan (Micronesian with Malayan and Melanesian admixtures) 70.6%, Carolinian 1.2%, Asian 26.5%, other 1.7% (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.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 17.49% (male 1,966/female 1,844)

15-64 years: 71.82% (male 8,665/female 6,976)

65 years and over: 10.69% (2023 est.) (male 581/female 1,747)

2023 population pyramid:

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 43.8

youth dependency ratio: 30.2

elderly dependency ratio: 13.7

potential support ratio: 7.3 (2021)

Median age

total: 35 years (2023 est.)

male: 33.9 years

female: 37 years

Population growth rate

0.39% (2023 est.)

Birth rate

11.6 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

8.3 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate

0.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

most of the population is located on the southern end of the main island of Babelthuap

Urbanization

urban population: 82.4% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 1.59% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas - population

277 NGERULMUD (capital) (2018)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.24 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.33 male(s)/female

total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 11 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

male: 13 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 9 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 74.9 years (2023 est.)

male: 71.8 years

female: 78.2 years

Total fertility rate

1.7 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.82 (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

N/A

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 99.6% of population

rural: 99.8% of population

total: 99.7% of population

unimproved: urban: 0.4% of population

rural: 0.2% of population

total: 0.3% of population (2020 est.)

Current health expenditure

18.4% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density

1.77 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 99.8% of population

rural: 99% of population

total: 99.6% of population

unimproved: urban: 0.2% of population

rural: 1% of population

total: 0.4% of population (2020 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

55.3% (2016)

Tobacco use

total: 17.6% (2020 est.)

male: 27.3% (2020 est.)

female: 7.9% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

N/A

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

45.6% (2023 est.)

Education expenditures

6.8% of GDP (2019)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 96.6%

male: 96.8%

female: 96.3% (2015)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 17 years

male: 16 years

female: 17 years (2013)