Palau — Population growth
Population Growth (Annual %) for Palau, 1961–2025.
Population growth for Palau was -0.18% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 65 years, from 1961 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 3.63% in 1972. The lowest was -1.75% in 2012 (about 9.6× the latest value).
Palau ranks 189 of 217 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 87%. The median for East Asia & Pacific is 0.64%, so Palau sits below it. It peaked in 1972 and has fallen 105% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 158%. Within East Asia & Pacific it ranks 30 of 37 economies; Hong Kong SAR, China (-0.34%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was down 22630% in 2006. That is 577% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 99th of 216 in 1961 → 130th of 216 in 1970 → 213th of 216 in 1980 → 99th of 216 in 1990 → 100th of 217 in 2000 → 212th of 217 in 2010 → 177th of 217 in 2020 → 189th of 217 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1961 to 2025
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | -0.18% | -0.0 pp |
| 2024 | -0.18% | -0.0 pp |
| 2023 | -0.18% | -0.0 pp |
| 2022 | -0.14% | -0.1 pp |
| 2021 | -0.05% | -0.0 pp |
| 2020 | -0.03% | +0.1 pp |
| 2019 | -0.09% | -0.1 pp |
| 2018 | 0.01% | -0.1 pp |
| 2017 | 0.08% | -0.1 pp |
| 2016 | 0.15% | -0.2 pp |
| 2015 | 0.31% | -0.1 pp |
| 2014 | 0.38% | +1.0 pp |
| 2013 | -0.66% | +1.1 pp |
| 2012 | -1.75% | -0.0 pp |
| 2011 | -1.74% | -0.1 pp |
| 2010 | -1.69% | -0.1 pp |
| 2009 | -1.59% | -0.1 pp |
| 2008 | -1.53% | -0.0 pp |
| 2007 | -1.5% | -0.3 pp |
| 2006 | -1.15% | -1.1 pp |
| 2005 | -0.01% | -0.8 pp |
| 2004 | 0.82% | +0.0 pp |
| 2003 | 0.8% | +0.0 pp |
| 2002 | 0.78% | -0.1 pp |
| 2001 | 0.9% | -0.6 pp |
| 2000 | 1.45% | -0.6 pp |
| 1999 | 2.01% | -0.3 pp |
| 1998 | 2.27% | -0.3 pp |
| 1997 | 2.54% | -0.1 pp |
| 1996 | 2.63% | +0.1 pp |
| 1995 | 2.5% | +0.1 pp |
| 1994 | 2.4% | +0.0 pp |
| 1993 | 2.37% | -0.0 pp |
| 1992 | 2.37% | +0.1 pp |
| 1991 | 2.3% | +0.2 pp |
| 1990 | 2.08% | +0.1 pp |
| 1989 | 2.03% | -0.1 pp |
| 1988 | 2.15% | -0.0 pp |
| 1987 | 2.19% | -0.2 pp |
| 1986 | 2.43% | -0.2 pp |
| 1985 | 2.6% | +0.1 pp |
| 1984 | 2.51% | +0.1 pp |
| 1983 | 2.43% | +0.1 pp |
| 1982 | 2.33% | +1.3 pp |
| 1981 | 1.06% | +1.6 pp |
| 1980 | -0.54% | +0.3 pp |
| 1979 | -0.83% | -0.2 pp |
| 1978 | -0.68% | -0.1 pp |
| 1977 | -0.58% | -0.1 pp |
| 1976 | -0.45% | -0.2 pp |
| 1975 | -0.25% | -1.3 pp |
| 1974 | 1.07% | -1.8 pp |
| 1973 | 2.89% | -0.7 pp |
| 1972 | 3.63% | +0.3 pp |
| 1971 | 3.38% | +1.5 pp |
| 1970 | 1.86% | +1.1 pp |
| 1969 | 0.71% | -0.1 pp |
| 1968 | 0.83% | -0.8 pp |
| 1967 | 1.68% | -0.7 pp |
| 1966 | 2.42% | -0.0 pp |
| 1965 | 2.45% | -0.1 pp |
| 1964 | 2.51% | +0.0 pp |
| 1963 | 2.46% | +0.0 pp |
| 1962 | 2.46% | +0.1 pp |
| 1961 | 2.4% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Palau’s Population growth in 1962?
2.46% (1962). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in annual %, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Palau’s Population growth growing or shrinking?
Between 1961 and 2025 the series was shrinking overall: -107.5% in total.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SP.POP.GROW. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: -0.18%; 2024: -0.18%; 2023: -0.18%; 2022: -0.14%; 2021: -0.05%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SP.POP.GROW — Population Growth (Annual %). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.