Country profile
Palau
Republic of Palau · Micronesia
👥 Population
17,663
World Bank · 2025
🏛 Capital
Ngerulmud
🗺 Area
459 km²
💹 GDP (nominal)
$345M
World Bank · 2025
📈 HDI
0.786
UNDP · 2023
📍 Pop. density
38 /km²
💱 Currency
USD
United States dollar
🗣 Languages
English, Palauan
About Palau
Palau (officially Republic of Palau) is a country in Micronesia, with Ngerulmud as its capital. It is home to roughly 17.66 thousand people, giving a population density of about 38 people per square kilometre. The country covers 459 km² of land and has no shared land borders. Its economy is valued at approximately $345M in nominal GDP (2025), and it records a Human Development Index of 0.786. The official currency is the United States dollar (USD), and the main languages are English, Palauan.
Key indicators
Latest available data · World Bank & UNDP.
💹 Economy
GDP (PPP)
$323.17M
GDP/capita (PPP)
$18,230
GDP growth
6.3%
Inflation
-0.4%
👥 People
Life expectancy
69.4 yrs
Fertility rate
1.88
Pop. growth
-0.2%
Urban population
79.3%
Infant mortality /1k
18.6
🌍 Quality of Life
Internet users
83.9%
Literacy rate
99.8%
Physicians /1k
1.81
Renewable energy
0.9%
Travel & practical
Capital
Ngerulmud
Currency
USD
Dialing code
+680
Internet TLD
.pw
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Fun facts about Palau
- Palau is the 191st most populous country in the world, with about 17.66 thousand people.
- By land area it is the 180th-largest country in the world, covering 459 km².
- It has the world's 189th-largest economy by nominal GDP ($345M).
- Palau has no land borders with other countries.
- It is classed by the UN as a country of high human development, with an HDI of 0.786.
- Palau has a population density of about 38 people per square kilometre.
Kiribati
Micronesia
Marshall Islands
Nauru
Australia
Papua New Guinea
New Zealand
Fiji