Palau — Country Profile
Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Palau: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna Power score (--/100, ranked #-- of 195).
Last updated: October 2026
Palau is in Oceania, group of islands in the North Pacific Ocean, southeast of the Philippines. It covers 459 sq km. Terrain: varying topography from the high, mountainous main island of Babelthuap to low, coral islands usually fringed by large barrier reefs. Climate: tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November.
| Capital | Ngerulmud |
|---|---|
| Population | 21,947 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $280.025 million (2023 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $15,800 (2023 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 1.9% (2023 est.) |
| Inflation | 2.2% (2024 est.) |
| Public debt | 85.2% of GDP (2019 est.) |
| Exports | $24.48 million (2022 est.) |
| Imports | $216.681 million (2022 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 75.2 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 35.5 years (2025 est.) |
| Urbanization | 82.4% of total population (2023) |
| Government | presidential republic in free association with the US |
| Independence | 1 October 1994 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship) |
| 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.) |
Palau’s GDP is $280.025 million (2023 est.) in purchasing-power-parity terms. At official exchange rates it stands at $281.849 million (2023 est.). Real GDP grew 1.9% (2023 est.). See where Palau ranks among all 195 countries by GDP.
POWER --/100 — The Magna Power score is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — nine components, 135 indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
Jul–Sep 2026 came and went without leaving a mark on the country's trajectory. Continuity, not change, is the story.
For a small or mid-sized state, that is often the good outcome: no shock to absorb, no crisis to manage.
- What our model rewards: inflation tamed at 2.2%
- What drags it down: a current-account deficit of $0 billion (48.0% of GDP) — living beyond its means; few natural resources to fall back on
Energy is the physical base of economic power — what a country can generate, move and burn decides what it can build, sell and defend.
| Electricity access | 100% (2022 est.) |
|---|
Our World in Data does not publish a primary-energy series for Palau.
Sources: CIA World Factbook, Energy section.
Trade shows what the world buys from a country and what the country must buy from the world — the balance between the two is a direct measure of economic leverage.
| Exports | $24.48 million (2022 est.) |
|---|---|
| Imports | $216.681 million (2022 est.) |
| Trade balance (calculated) | Deficit of $192.2 million (2022), calculated from the CIA export and import figures above. |
| Key industries | tourism, fishing, subsistence agriculture |
Source: CIA World Factbook, Economy section.
Surangel Whipps Jr. — President. President Surangel WHIPPS, Jr. (since 21 January 2021)
Palau maintains 5 embassies and 2 consulates abroad, hosts 4 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 5 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 2 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 4 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York |
Source: Wikipedia 'List of diplomatic missions of Palau' / '... in Palau'
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 1519 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 3 (registration prefix T8) |
| Major seaports | Malakal Harbor |
Major airports
Roman Tmetuchl International Airport (ROR) — Babelthuap Island.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | presidential republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
POWER --/100 Ranked #-- of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Palau.
This profile covers the population, economy, natural resources, leaders, and history of Palau — with the Bureau’s live national-power score of --/100, ranking #-- of 195 countries.
What is Palau's power score?
Palau has a Magna Power score of --/100. The score measures structural power — the proven capacity to shape events — across nine components.