Flag of Palau

Palau: capital, population, area and flag

Palau is a country in Micronesian Region (Oceania). Its capital is Ngerulmud. The population is about 17.7K (#191 of 193) and the area is about 460 km² (#179 of 193).

Key facts

Capital
Ngerulmud
Region
Oceania / Micronesian Region
Population
17,663 (2025) #191 of 193
Total area
460 km² (2024) #179 of 193
Population density
38.5 people/km² (2024) #143 of 193
GDP (total)
$345M (2025) #186 of 189
GDP per capita
$19,532 (2025) #59 of 189
Life expectancy
69.4 years (2024) #134 of 193
Distance from Japan
3,177 km #187 of 192
Largest city
Koror
Area compared with Japan
about 1/820 that of Japan
Population compared with Japan
about 1/7,000 that of Japan
Main languages
Palauan, English
Currency
US Dollar (USD)
Calling code
+680
Time zone (capital)
UTC+9
Time difference from Japan (standard time)
Same time as Japan
Driving side
Right
Capital location
7.50°N 134.62°E

Map of Palau

Map of Palau

Capital: Ngerulmud

Neighbors by land

Palau has no land borders with other countries.

Top rankings

Palau is in the top 10 for:

Palau in world rankings

How Palau compares with other countries, indicator by indicator. Click an indicator to see the full ranking.

IndicatorValueYearRank
Geography & nature
Total area460 km²2024#179 of 193
Number of land borders0#155 of 193 tied
Latitude of the capital7.5°#129 of 193
Distance from Japan3,177 km#187 of 192
Forest area (share of land)90.8%2024#4 of 193
Arable land (share of land)0.7%2024#181 of 190
Protected land (share of land)31.4%2025#28 of 192 tied
Agricultural land (share of land)9.3%2024#169 of 192
Forest area419 km²2025#165 of 193
Marine protected areas (share of territorial waters)98.0%2025#2 of 153
People & population
Population17,6632025#191 of 193
Population density38.5 people/km²2024#143 of 193
Population growth rate-0.18%2025#172 of 193
Urban population (share of people)79.3%2025#46 of 193
Life expectancy69.4 years2024#134 of 193
Fertility rate1.88 births per woman2024#104 of 193
Infant mortality rate18.6 per 1,000 births2024#71 of 192
Birth rate10.7 per 1,000 people2024#132 of 193
Share of people aged 65 and over11.8%2025#72 of 193
Share of children aged 0–1417.9%2025#130 of 193
Life expectancy of women71.9 years2024#133 of 193
Life expectancy of men67.3 years2024#129 of 193
Maternal mortality ratio89 per 100,000 births2023#69 of 192
Death rate (per 1,000 people)11.7 per 1,000 people2024#19 of 193
Under-5 mortality (per 1,000 births)21.4 per 1,000 births2024#71 of 192
Population aged 15–64 (share of population)70.2%2025#18 of 193
Economy
GDP (total)$345M2025#186 of 189
GDP per capita$19,5322025#59 of 189
GDP per capita (PPP)$23,0522025#82 of 185
Economic growth rate6.3%2025#31 of 188
Inflation rate-0.4%2025#173 of 179
Exports (share of GDP)32.7%2024#90 of 168
Imports (share of GDP)73.1%2024#25 of 168
Agriculture (share of GDP)2.7%2024#128 of 184
Industry (share of GDP)13.0%2024#164 of 185
Services (share of GDP)73.1%2024#14 of 185
Goods exports (total)$3M2025#189 of 190
Money sent home by workers abroad (share of GDP)0.8%2023#122 of 170
Fish and seafood production (catch + farmed)814 t2024#182 of 193
Fish catch (from sea, rivers and lakes)803 t2024#172 of 193
Aquaculture (farmed fish and seafood)11 t2024#167 of 193
Fertilizer use (per hectare of arable land)27 kg/ha2024#134 of 187
Manufacturing (share of GDP)1.2%2024#175 of 178
High-technology exports (share of manufactured exports)51.7%2018#7 of 168
Foreign direct investment, inflows (share of GDP)16.6%2025#8 of 187
Development aid received (share of national income)10.4%2023#24 of 132
Daily life & technology
Internet users (share of people)83.9%2024#82 of 186
Mobile phone subscriptions135.4 per 100 people2023#44 of 193
Access to electricity (share of people)100.0%2024#1 of 193 tied
Health spending (share of GDP)10.9%2023#18 of 192
Education spending (share of GDP)3.4%2023#119 of 179
Doctors1.81 per 1,000 people2023#93 of 188
Women in parliament (share of seats)25.0%2025#100 of 192 tied
University and college enrollment71.8%2024#44 of 163
Fixed broadband subscriptions7.3 per 100 people2023#114 of 192
Safe drinking water (share of people)90.8%2024#50 of 136
Clean cooking fuels (share of people)96.0%2024#76 of 192 tied
Measles vaccination (share of children)96.0%2024#46 of 192 tied
Secondary school enrollment (gross)95.7%2024#74 of 180
Primary school completion rate100.4%2024#30 of 172
Nurses and midwives (per 1,000 people)6.61 per 1,000 people2023#45 of 190
Tuberculosis cases (per 100,000 people)28 per 100,000 people2024#114 of 191 tied
Health spending per person$1,6842023#47 of 192
Container port traffic (TEU)16,399 TEU2019#144 of 150
Environment
Renewable electricity (share of power)4.6%2021#157 of 187
CO₂ emissions per person82.8 t CO₂e per person2024#1 of 186
CO₂ emissions (total)1.5 Mt CO₂e2024#152 of 186
Air pollution (PM2.5)4.9 µg/m³2023#184 of 192
Renewable energy (share of final energy use)0.9%2022#180 of 191 tied
Electricity from nuclear power (share of total)0.0%2021#33 of 190 tied
Electricity from hydropower (share of total)0.0%2021#150 of 190 tied
Greenhouse gas emissions (total)1.5 Mt CO₂e2024#165 of 186
Food & farming
Milkfish: production5 t2024#17 of 25
Yellowfin tuna: production5 t2024#78 of 82
Bigeye tuna: production3 t2024#65 of 68 tied
Tunas, bonitos and billfishes: production8 t2024#128 of 133
Sharks and rays: production10 t2024#114 of 127

Questions about Palau

What is the capital of Palau?

The capital of Palau is Ngerulmud.

What is the population of Palau?

Palau has a population of about 17.7K (2025), #191 of 193 among countries.

How big is Palau?

Palau covers about 460 km², #179 of 193 among countries.

Which continent is Palau in?

Palau is in Oceania, in the region of Micronesian Region.

What currency and languages are used in Palau?

The currency is the US Dollar. Main languages: Palauan, English.

How does Palau compare with Japan in size and population?

The area of Palau is about 1/820 that of Japan, and its population is about 1/7,000 that of Japan.

How far is Palau from Japan?

The capital, Ngerulmud, is about 3,177 km from Tokyo, the capital of Japan, in a straight line.

What is the time difference between Palau and Japan?

The capital, Ngerulmud, is on UTC+9 in standard time: Same time as Japan.

What is the largest city in Palau?

The largest city in Palau is Koror. The capital is Ngerulmud.

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