East Asia & Pacific · High income
Palau: the economy in numbers
Per person: $19,532, or $23,052 at purchasing power parity. Population: 17,663 (2025).
GDP in 2025, current US dollars: #201 of 204 economies. IMF forecast for 2026: +4.3%.
GDP
Adjusted for US inflation, in 2025 dollars: $96 million in 1970, $345 million in 2025.
GDP per capita
In 2025 dollars: $8,442 per person in 1970, $19,532 in 2025.
Real GDP growth
Average over 2016–2025: −0.3% a year. Years of falling GDP since 1971: 20 of 55.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Inflation
Consumer prices rose 2.17 times from 2001 to 2025. Highest annual inflation: 12.8% in 2023.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Government debt, % of GDP
Highest since 2000: 73.5% of GDP in 2021. IMF forecast for 2031: 41.0%.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
Population
1960: 9,328 · 2025: 17,663.
Life expectancy at birth
1960: 54.9 years · 2024: 69.4 years.
Exports of goods and services
2005: 44.0% · 2024: 32.7%.
Data by year
Show the year-by-year table
| Year | GDP | GDP per capita | Per capita, PPP | Real growth | Inflation | Gov. debt, % GDP | Population | Life expectancy | Exports, % GDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2031 | 2.1%f | 2.0%f | 41.0%f | ||||||
| 2030 | 2.1%f | 2.1%f | 45.8%f | ||||||
| 2029 | 2.2%f | 2.2%f | 50.6%f | ||||||
| 2028 | 2.4%f | 2.5%f | 53.5%f | ||||||
| 2027 | 2.7%f | 3.7%f | 55.5%f | ||||||
| 2026 | 4.3%f | 1.7%f | 53.8%f | ||||||
| 2025 | $345M | $19,532 | $23,052 | 6.3% | −0.4% | 52.8% | 17.7K | ||
| 2024 | $322M | $18,169 | $21,059 | 12.0% | 2.2% | 60.1% | 17.7K | 69.4 | 32.7% |
| 2023 | $276M | $15,578 | $18,313 | 1.2% | 12.8% | 71.2% | 17.7K | 69.3 | 26.1% |
| 2022 | $247M | $13,935 | $17,415 | −0.5% | 12.4% | 70.1% | 17.8K | 68.9 | 15.4% |
| 2021 | $236M | $13,267 | $16,312 | −11.9% | 2.6% | 73.5% | 17.8K | 68.6 | 6.6% |
| 2020 | $259M | $14,556 | $17,702 | −6.0% | 0.2% | 55.5% | 17.8K | 68.7 | 23.3% |
| 2019 | $282M | $15,842 | $18,577 | 0.3% | 0.3% | 33.7% | 17.8K | 69.0 | 38.3% |
| 2018 | $288M | $16,180 | $18,204 | −0.4% | 2.1% | 33.5% | 17.8K | 69.0 | 42.8% |
| 2017 | $290M | $16,280 | $17,873 | −3.4% | 1.4% | 35.3% | 17.8K | 69.0 | 45.6% |
| 2016 | $303M | $17,044 | $18,196 | 1.7% | −1.0% | 35.1% | 17.8K | 69.0 | 48.2% |
| 2015 | $283M | $15,938 | $17,756 | 8.6% | 0.9% | 28.9% | 17.8K | 69.1 | 53.6% |
| 2014 | $245M | $13,855 | $16,254 | 4.2% | 4.2% | 35.9% | 17.7K | 69.1 | 55.3% |
| 2013 | $226M | $12,821 | $15,388 | −1.4% | 3.4% | 25.8% | 17.6K | 69.0 | 54.5% |
| 2012 | $215M | $12,098 | $15,244 | 2.1% | 3.6% | 15.6% | 17.8K | 68.9 | 55.8% |
| 2011 | $195M | $10,796 | $14,409 | 4.5% | 4.7% | 26.5% | 18.1K | 68.6 | 52.3% |
| 2010 | $184M | $10,018 | $13,270 | −3.0% | 1.4% | 29.5% | 18.4K | 68.3 | 46.4% |
| 2009 | $184M | $9,837 | $13,294 | −6.2% | 1.4% | 31.3% | 18.7K | 68.0 | 43.1% |
| 2008 | $199M | $10,471 | $13,863 | −5.6% | 12.0% | 30.9% | 19K | 67.6 | 46.7% |
| 2007 | $196M | $10,155 | $14,182 | 0.7% | 3.2% | 31.2% | 19.3K | 67.1 | 43.6% |
| 2006 | $191M | $9,737 | $13,510 | 0.2% | 4.4% | 29.8% | 19.6K | 66.6 | 46.1% |
| 2005 | $186M | $9,368 | $12,927 | 2.9% | 4.0% | 31.6% | 19.8K | 66.2 | 44.0% |
| 2004 | $166M | $8,394 | $12,182 | 3.5% | 5.0% | 30.8% | 19.8K | 65.8 | |
| 2003 | $155M | $7,862 | $11,559 | −2.1% | 0.9% | 34.4% | 19.7K | 65.4 | |
| 2002 | $163M | $8,340 | $11,674 | 4.7% | −1.3% | 33.5% | 19.5K | 65.1 | |
| 2001 | $159M | $8,239 | $11,063 | 7.3% | −0.3% | 34.6% | 19.4K | 64.8 | |
| 2000 | $150M | $7,798 | $10,171 | −2.6% | 36.9% | 19.2K | 64.5 | ||
| 1999 | $144M | $7,630 | $10,361 | −5.4% | 18.9K | 64.2 | |||
| 1998 | $149M | $8,048 | $11,019 | 2.0% | 18.5K | 64.0 | |||
| 1997 | $144M | $7,945 | $10,929 | 2.3% | 18.1K | 63.7 | |||
| 1996 | $137M | $7,788 | $10,772 | 10.4% | 17.7K | 63.5 | |||
| 1995 | $121M | $7,038 | $9,837 | 10.9% | 17.2K | 63.3 | |||
| 1994 | $106M | $6,329 | $8,909 | 7.3% | 16.8K | 63.1 | |||
| 1993 | $96.5M | $5,892 | $8,327 | −12.3% | 16.4K | 63.0 | |||
| 1992 | $105M | $6,553 | $9,497 | −6.4% | 16K | 62.9 | |||
| 1991 | $107M | $6,824 | $10,158 | 4.9% | 15.6K | 62.8 | |||
| 1990 | $97.7M | $6,403 | $9,584 | 5.4% | 15.3K | 62.8 | |||
| 1989 | $85.8M | $5,741 | 5.4% | 14.9K | 62.8 | ||||
| 1988 | $75.3M | $5,145 | 5.4% | 14.6K | 62.8 | ||||
| 1987 | $66.2M | $4,616 | 5.4% | 14.3K | 62.8 | ||||
| 1986 | $58.1M | $4,144 | 5.4% | 14K | 62.8 | ||||
| 1985 | $51M | $3,728 | 5.4% | 13.7K | 62.7 | ||||
| 1984 | $44.8M | $3,360 | 4.6% | 13.3K | 62.6 | ||||
| 1983 | $39.7M | $3,049 | 1.9% | 13K | 62.5 | ||||
| 1982 | $36M | $2,838 | −0.4% | 12.7K | 62.3 | ||||
| 1981 | $32.7M | $2,639 | −0.4% | 12.4K | 62.1 | ||||
| 1980 | $29.7M | $2,423 | −0.4% | 12.3K | 61.9 | ||||
| 1979 | $27M | $2,189 | −0.4% | 12.3K | 61.6 | ||||
| 1978 | $24.5M | $1,972 | −0.5% | 12.4K | 61.3 | ||||
| 1977 | $22.3M | $1,781 | 1.4% | 12.5K | 60.9 | ||||
| 1976 | $20.4M | $1,616 | −0.0% | 12.6K | 60.5 | ||||
| 1975 | $18.5M | $1,464 | 0.0% | 12.7K | 60.0 | ||||
| 1974 | $16.8M | $1,328 | 0.1% | 12.7K | 59.5 | ||||
| 1973 | $15.3M | $1,221 | 0.2% | 12.6K | 59.0 | ||||
| 1972 | $14M | $1,145 | 0.3% | 12.2K | 58.6 | ||||
| 1971 | $12.7M | $1,081 | 0.1% | 11.8K | 58.1 | ||||
| 1970 | $11.6M | $1,017 | 11.4K | 57.7 | |||||
| 1969 | 11.2K | 57.3 | |||||||
| 1968 | 11.1K | 56.9 | |||||||
| 1967 | 11K | 56.5 | |||||||
| 1966 | 10.8K | 56.2 | |||||||
| 1965 | 10.5K | 55.9 | |||||||
| 1964 | 10.3K | 55.8 | |||||||
| 1963 | 10K | 55.6 | |||||||
| 1962 | 9.79K | 55.4 | |||||||
| 1961 | 9.55K | 55.1 | |||||||
| 1960 | 9.33K | 54.9 |
e: IMF estimate; f: IMF forecast. Inflation: IMF data for 2001, World Bank for the other years.
Nearby economies in East Asia & Pacific
Nearest by distance between capitals, with GDP per capita.
American Samoa · Australia · Brunei · Cambodia · China · Fiji · French Polynesia · Guam · Hong Kong · Indonesia · Japan · Kiribati · Laos · Macao · Malaysia · Marshall Islands · Micronesia · Mongolia · Myanmar · Nauru · New Caledonia · New Zealand · North Korea · Northern Mariana Islands · Palau · Papua New Guinea · Philippines · Samoa · Singapore · Solomon Islands · South Korea · Thailand · Timor-Leste · Tonga · Tuvalu · Vanuatu · Vietnam
Rankings
GDP by country · GDP per capita · Real GDP growth · Inflation by country · Government debt to GDP · Stock market to GDP · Population by country · Unemployment by country
Data and methods
- GDP: gross domestic product in current US dollars, converted from the local currency at market exchange rates (World Bank); not adjusted for inflation.
- Purchasing power parity (PPP): GDP per person in international dollars, which buy the same basket of goods and services in every country. It compares living standards across countries in the same year; it is not adjusted for inflation over time.
- In 2025 dollars: the charts can remove US inflation (US consumer price index, annual average) so that dollar amounts from different years compare in today's money. Exchange rate swings still show.
- Growth and inflation: World Bank data (calendar years). Years the World Bank does not cover yet, and the estimates and forecasts, come from the IMF World Economic Outlook (October 2026): its forecasts start in 2026, and the years after a country's last actual year are IMF estimates.
- Government debt: gross debt of the general government (central, state and local government and social security funds) as a percentage of GDP, IMF. The World Bank's central government debt is narrower and covers fewer countries.
- Stock market capitalization: the end-of-year value of domestic companies listed on the country's exchanges (World Federation of Exchanges via the World Bank; before 2016, Standard & Poor's), as a percentage of GDP: the “Buffett indicator”. Investment funds are excluded, and so are companies listed only abroad; companies from elsewhere that list on an exchange count for its country (Hong Kong lists many mainland Chinese companies).
- Unemployment: ILO modeled estimates (share of the labor force); comparable across countries, but they may differ from national figures.
- Fiscal year: the IMF reports this economy by fiscal year (latest actual: FY2024/25), so IMF numbers can differ from calendar-year World Bank figures.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)