COUNTRY PROFILE / PLW
Palau
PLW / PW
For Palau, population is 17,663 people (2025, #213/215) and area is 460 km² (2023, #190/215). This profile covers 54 comparable rankings and 7 thematic maps. Largest religious group: Christianity (2020 / 77.8%); Main language: Palauan.
01 / BASIC INFORMATION
Palau in numbers.
02 / JAPAN COMPARISON & TRENDS
Compare Palau with Japan and track change.
JAPAN REFERENCE
In the recorded data for Palau, population is less than 0.1% of Japan's value and area is about 0.1% of Japan's value. Reference years can differ, so check the year shown for each value.
| Indicator | Palau | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,663 people2025 / Less than 0.1% of Japan's value | 123,366,734 people2025 |
| Area | 460 km²2023 / About 0.1% of Japan's value | 377,969 km²2023 |
| Population density | 38.4 people/km²Population 2025 · area 2023 / About 11.8% of Japan's value | 326.4 people/km²Population 2025 · area 2023 |
| Life expectancy | 69.38 years2024 / 14.65 years shorter than Japan | 84.04 years2024 |
| GDP per capita | US$ 19,5322025 / About 54.3% of Japan's value | US$ 35,9512025 |
RECORDED CHANGE OVER TIME
Population
2000 → 2025Recorded population moved from 19,178 people in 2000 to 17,663 people in 2025, a decrease of about 7.9%.Life expectancy
2000 → 2024Recorded life expectancy moved from 64.5 years in 2000 to 69.38 years in 2024, an increase of 4.88 years.GDP per capita
2000 → 2025Recorded GDP per capita moved from US$ 7,798 in 2000 to US$ 19,532 in 2025, an increase of about 150.5%. The values are in current US dollars, so exchange rates and inflation affect the comparison.03 / ALL RANKINGS
49 additional rankings for Palau.
49 rankings in 9 categories
Essentials3 rankings
People & society11 rankings
Health6 rankings
Economy & work9 rankings
Education & science2 rankings
Food & agriculture1 ranking
Environment & digital9 rankings
Safety & politics5 rankings
Travel & culture3 rankings
04 / CULTURE & INDUSTRY