Palau

Oceania · Micronesia · capital Ngerulmud

About Palau

The capital of Palau is Ngerulmud. Ngerulmud is the seat of national government for Palau, a country in Micronesia.

Palau has a population of about 17,727 people, the 225th largest population in the world. Population figures come from World Bank estimates.

Palau covers 459 square kilometers (177 square miles), making Palau the 200th largest country in the world by area.

Palau shares no land border with any other country. No neighboring state can be reached from Palau overland.

Life expectancy at birth in Palau is 69.3 years, the 156th highest of any country in the world.

Palau is in Oceania, in the Micronesia region. Palau is one of 27 countries and territories in Oceania.

Data updated April 1, 2026

Statistics and world rankings for Palau
Populationtotal people	17.7Kpeople	225th
Land Areatotal km²	459km²	200th
GDP per PersonUSD per person	$15.6K	81st
Total GDPUSD · whole economy	$276.7M	207th
Life Expectancyyears, at birth	69.3years	156th
Urban Population% living in cities	79.2%	60th
Internet Users% of people online	no data
Fertility Ratechildren per woman	1.91births/woman	112th
Tourist Arrivalsvisitors per year	18.4Karrivals/year	171st
Forest Cover% of land forested	90.4%	4th
Unemployment Rate% of labor force	no data
Military Spending% of GDP	no data
Renewable Energy% of energy use	0.9%	193rd
Inflation Rateannual CPI change	12.8%	28th
Beer Consumptionliters per year	no data
Coffee Consumptionkg per year	no data
Wine Consumptionliters per year	no data
Education Spending% of GDP	3.5%of GDP	115th
Health Spending% of GDP	10.9%of GDP	18th
Arable Land% of land arable	0.7%	195th
Foreign Direct InvestmentUSD inflow/year	$79.9M	149th