Palau — Urban population
Urban Population (% of Total) for Palau, 1960–2025.
Urban population for Palau was 79.28% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 66 years, from 1960 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 81.13% in 2012. The lowest was 43.89% in 1960 (about 1.8× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.91% per year.
Palau ranks 62 of 217 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 29%. The median for East Asia & Pacific is 65.45%, so Palau sits above it. It peaked in 2012 and has fallen 2% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 1%. Within East Asia & Pacific it ranks 12 of 37 economies; Marshall Islands (79.11%) is just below it.
Data highlights
Doubling roughly every 76 years at that pace.
World ranking. Climbed: 77th of 217 in 1960 → 59th of 217 in 1970 → 67th of 217 in 1980 → 63rd of 217 in 1990 → 68th of 217 in 2000 → 52nd of 217 in 2010 → 59th of 217 in 2020 → 62nd of 217 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1960 to 2025
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 79.28% | +0.1 pp |
| 2024 | 79.21% | +0.1 pp |
| 2023 | 79.15% | +0.0 pp |
| 2022 | 79.11% | +0.0 pp |
| 2021 | 79.09% | +0.0 pp |
| 2020 | 79.08% | -0.2 pp |
| 2019 | 79.28% | -0.3 pp |
| 2018 | 79.55% | -0.3 pp |
| 2017 | 79.83% | -0.3 pp |
| 2016 | 80.11% | -0.3 pp |
| 2015 | 80.39% | -0.3 pp |
| 2014 | 80.73% | -0.3 pp |
| 2013 | 81.08% | -0.1 pp |
| 2012 | 81.13% | +0.2 pp |
| 2011 | 80.97% | +0.3 pp |
| 2010 | 80.66% | +0.4 pp |
| 2009 | 80.22% | +0.6 pp |
| 2008 | 79.66% | +0.6 pp |
| 2007 | 79.02% | +0.7 pp |
| 2006 | 78.31% | +0.7 pp |
| 2005 | 77.57% | +1.1 pp |
| 2004 | 76.45% | +1.9 pp |
| 2003 | 74.54% | +2.2 pp |
| 2002 | 72.38% | +1.8 pp |
| 2001 | 70.53% | +0.9 pp |
| 2000 | 69.59% | -0.1 pp |
| 1999 | 69.69% | -0.5 pp |
| 1998 | 70.17% | -0.6 pp |
| 1997 | 70.77% | -0.5 pp |
| 1996 | 71.25% | -0.1 pp |
| 1995 | 71.39% | +0.2 pp |
| 1994 | 71.23% | +0.3 pp |
| 1993 | 70.88% | +0.5 pp |
| 1992 | 70.43% | +0.5 pp |
| 1991 | 69.95% | +0.4 pp |
| 1990 | 69.53% | +0.3 pp |
| 1989 | 69.21% | +0.3 pp |
| 1988 | 68.94% | +0.3 pp |
| 1987 | 68.67% | +0.3 pp |
| 1986 | 68.32% | +0.5 pp |
| 1985 | 67.79% | +1.0 pp |
| 1984 | 66.8% | +1.3 pp |
| 1983 | 65.54% | +1.3 pp |
| 1982 | 64.25% | +1.1 pp |
| 1981 | 63.16% | +0.7 pp |
| 1980 | 62.5% | +0.4 pp |
| 1979 | 62.12% | +0.3 pp |
| 1978 | 61.83% | +0.2 pp |
| 1977 | 61.59% | +0.2 pp |
| 1976 | 61.37% | +0.2 pp |
| 1975 | 61.13% | +0.3 pp |
| 1974 | 60.82% | +0.4 pp |
| 1973 | 60.4% | +0.6 pp |
| 1972 | 59.84% | +0.7 pp |
| 1971 | 59.15% | +0.8 pp |
| 1970 | 58.33% | +0.9 pp |
| 1969 | 57.38% | +1.1 pp |
| 1968 | 56.31% | +1.2 pp |
| 1967 | 55.12% | +1.3 pp |
| 1966 | 53.82% | +1.4 pp |
| 1965 | 52.41% | +1.5 pp |
| 1964 | 50.9% | +1.6 pp |
| 1963 | 49.28% | +1.7 pp |
| 1962 | 47.58% | +1.8 pp |
| 1961 | 45.78% | +1.9 pp |
| 1960 | 43.89% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Palau’s Urban population in 1961?
45.78% (1961). 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 % of total population, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Palau’s Urban population growing or shrinking?
Between 1960 and 2025 the series was growing overall: +80.6% in total — about 0.9% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS. 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: 79.28%; 2024: 79.21%; 2023: 79.15%; 2022: 79.11%; 2021: 79.09%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS — Urban Population (% of Total). 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.