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.

Vital statistics
Births and deaths

CIA World Factbook demographic statistics
The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook (2023 est.), unless otherwise indicated.

Population

 * 21,779 (2023 est.)

Age structure

 * 0–14 years: 17.49% (male 1,966/female 1,844)
 * 15–64 years: 71.82% (male 8,665/female 6,976)
 * 65 years and over: 10.69% (male 581/female 1,747) (2023 est.)

Population growth rate

 * 0.39% (2023 est.)

Birth rate

 * 11.57 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

 * 8.31 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate

 * 0.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Sex ratio

 * at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
 * 0–14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
 * 15–64 years: 1.24 male(s)/female
 * 65 years and over: 0.33 male(s)/female
 * Total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate

 * Total: 11.04 deaths/1,000 live births
 * Male: 12.99 deaths/1,000 live births
 * Female: 8.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

 * Total population: 74.91 years
 * Male: 71.76 years
 * Female: 78.24 years (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

 * 1.7 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Nationality

 * Palauans (noun)
 * Palauan (adjective)

Ethnic groups

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

Religions
(2015 est.)
 * 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%

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.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
 * Total population: 96.6%
 * Male: 96.8%
 * Female: 96.3% (2015 est.)