# Demographics of Palau

Demographic features of the population of Palau include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects. About 70% of the Palauan population lives in the city of Koror on Koror Island. Koror is the former capital of the nation. The present capital is Ngerulmud, in Melekeok State on the bigger but less developed island of Babeldaob—the second-largest island in Micronesia after Guam.

## Population

* 21,779 (2023 est.)

### Structure of the population

| Age Group | Male | Female | Total | % |
| Total | 9 494 | 8 120 | 17 614 | 100 |
| 0–4 | 527 | 486 | 1 013 | 5.75 |
| 5–9 | 624 | 540 | 1 164 | 6.61 |
| 10–14 | 605 | 597 | 1 202 | 6.82 |
| 15–19 | 536 | 507 | 1 043 | 5.92 |
| 20–24 | 478 | 419 | 897 | 5.09 |
| 25–29 | 796 | 540 | 1 336 | 7.58 |
| 30–34 | 794 | 566 | 1 360 | 7.72 |
| 35–39 | 818 | 551 | 1 369 | 7.77 |
| 40–44 | 827 | 605 | 1 432 | 8.13 |
| 45–49 | 818 | 627 | 1 445 | 8.20 |
| 50–54 | 704 | 673 | 1 377 | 7.82 |
| 55–59 | 669 | 596 | 1 265 | 7.18 |
| 60–64 | 542 | 498 | 1 040 | 5.90 |
| 65-69 | 375 | 382 | 757 | 4.30 |
| 70-74 | 207 | 231 | 438 | 2.49 |
| 75+ | 174 | 302 | 476 | 2.70 |
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Percent |
| 0–14 | 1 756 | 1 623 | 3 379 | 19.18 |
| 15–64 | 6 982 | 5 582 | 12 564 | 71.33 |
| 65+ | 756 | 915 | 1 671 | 9.49 |

## Vital statistics

Births and deaths
| Year | Population | Live births | Deaths | Natural increase | Crude birth rate | Crude death rate | Rate of natural increase | TFR |
| 1990 | 15,122 | 326 | 117 | 209 | 21.6 | 7.7 | 13.9 | 2.79 |
| 1991 | 15,575 | 347 | 102 | 245 | 22.4 | 6.5 | 15.9 | |
| 1992 | 15,969 | 377 | 116 | 261 | 23.6 | 7.3 | 16.3 | |
| 1993 | 16,361 | 355 | 116 | 239 | 21.7 | 7.1 | 14.6 | |
| 1994 | 16,744 | 373 | 129 | 244 | 22.3 | 7.7 | 14.6 | |
| 1995 | 17,225 | 399 | 110 | 289 | 23.2 | 6.4 | 16.8 | 2.33 |
| 1996 | 17,600 | 355 | 144 | 211 | 20.2 | 8.2 | 12.0 | |
| 1997 | 18,061 | 330 | 121 | 209 | 18.3 | 6.7 | 11.6 | |
| 1998 | 18,494 | 280 | 125 | 155 | 15.1 | 6.8 | 8.3 | |
| 1999 | 18,882 | 250 | 131 | 119 | 13.2 | 6.9 | 6.3 | |
| 2000 | 19,129 | 278 | 125 | 153 | 14.5 | 6.5 | 8.0 | 1.83 |
| 2001 | 19,626 | 300 | 138 | 162 | 15.3 | 7.0 | 8.3 | |
| 2002 | 19,976 | 259 | 134 | 125 | 13.0 | 6.7 | 6.3 | |
| 2003 | 20,304 | 312 | 136 | 176 | 15.4 | 6.7 | 8.7 | |
| 2004 | 20,610 | 259 | 142 | 117 | 12.6 | 6.9 | 5.7 | |
| 2005 | 19,907 | 279 | 134 | 145 | 14.0 | 6.7 | 7.3 | 2.02 |
| 2006 | 21,669 | 259 | 144 | 115 | 12.0 | 7.2 | 4.8 | |
| 2007 | 20,227 | 279 | 152 | 127 | 13.8 | 7.5 | 6.3 | |
| 2008 | 20,389 | 295 | 170 | 125 | 14.5 | 8.4 | 6.1 | |
| 2009 | 20,552 | 273 | 174 | 99 | 13.3 | 8.5 | 4.8 | |
| 2010 | 20,717 | 247 | 168 | 79 | 11.9 | 8.1 | 3.8 | |
| 2011 | 20,882 | 247 | 173 | 74 | 11.8 | 8.3 | 3.5 | |
| 2012 | 17,501 | 268 | 164 | 104 | 15.3 | 9.4 | 5.9 | 2.23 |
| 2013 | 17,554 | 229 | 192 | 37 | 13.0 | 10.9 | 2.1 | |
| 2014 | 17,607 | 241 | 167 | 74 | 13.7 | 9.5 | 4.2 | |
| 2015 | 17,661 | 242 | 136 | 106 | 13.7 | 7.7 | 6.0 | 2.21 |
| 2016 | 17,715 | 212 | 175 | 37 | 12.0 | 9.9 | 2.1 | |
| 2017 | 17,769 | 221 | 183 | 38 | 12.4 | 10.3 | 2.1 | |
| 2018 | 18,302 | 256 | 143 | 113 | 14.0 | 7.8 | 6.2 | |
| 2019 | 18,851 | 212 | 192 | 20 | 11.2 | 10.2 | 1.0 | |
| 2020 | 17,614 | 213 | 148 | 65 | 12.1 | 8.4 | 3.7 | 2.063 |
| 2021 | 17,596 | 224 | 170 | 54 | 12.7 | 9.7 | 3.0 | |
| 2022 | 17,579 | 155 | 201 | -46 | 8.8 | 11.4 | -2.6 | |
| 2023 | 17,600 | 183 | 179 | 4 | 10.4 | 10.2 | 0.2 | |

## Ethnic groups

* Palauan (Micronesian with Malayan and Melanesian admixtures) 73%
* Carolinian 2%
* Asian 21.7%
* White 1.2%,
* Other 2.1% (2020 est.)

## Languages

* Palauan (official on most islands) 65.2%
* Other Micronesian 1.9%
* English (official) 19.1%
* Filipino 9.9%
* Chinese 1.2%
* Other 2.8% (2015 est.)

## Religions

Religion in Palau :
| Roman Catholic | Roman Catholic | 45.3% | 45.3% |
| Protestant | Protestant | 34.9% | 34.9% |
| Modekngei | Modekngei | 5.7% | 5.7% |
| Islam | Islam | 3% | 3% |
| Mormon | Mormon | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| Atheists/Agnostics | Atheists/Agnostics | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Unspecified | Unspecified | 4.4% | 4.4% |
* Roman Catholic 45.3%
* Protestant 34.9% (includes Protestant (general) 26.4%)
* Seventh-day Adventist 6.9%,
* Other Protestant 1.6%
* Modekngei 5.7% (indigenous to Palau)
* Islam (Muslims) 3%
* Mormonism 1.5%
* Other 9.7%
(2015 est.)