| Source | UN (World Population Prospects 2019) |
| Date | 23 Aug 2021 |
The current population of Palau is 18,061 as of April 19, 2024, based on interpolation of the latest United Nations data. The population of Palau is projected at 18,169 or 18.17 thousands as of July 1, 2021. The total population in Palau is projected at 18,094 or 18.10 thousands people for the year 2020. Palau ranks number 222th in the world by population in the list of 235 countries/territories. Palau is ranked 17th among 23 countries in Oceania.
Palau's population peaked in 2004 with 19.9 thousand people after Palau's population decreased year by year. The Palau population is projected to reach 18.5 thousand in 2030 and decrease further to 17.8 thousand in 2050 and 14.3 thousand by 2100. Palau accounts for 0.00023 percent of the world population. Its global share has been declining since 0.00030% of 2005 and is projected to decline at 0.00013% by 2100.
Palau was at 217th position globally in 1950, and its rank is projected to decline at 223rd in 2100.
| Year | Population | Growth | Share (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net Change | rate (%) | to World | ||
| 2020 | 18,094 | 86 | 0.48 | 0.00023 |
| 2021 | 18,169 | 75 | 0.41 | 0.00023 |
| 2022 | 18,233 | 64 | 0.35 | 0.00022 |
| 2023 | 18,278 | 45 | 0.25 | 0.00022 |
| 2024 | 18,328 | 50 | 0.27 | 0.00022 |
| 2025 | 18,360 | 32 | 0.17 | 0.00022 |
| 2026 | 18,399 | 39 | 0.21 | 0.00022 |
| 2027 | 18,420 | 21 | 0.11 | 0.00022 |
| 2028 | 18,444 | 24 | 0.13 | 0.00022 |
| 2029 | 18,460 | 16 | 0.09 | 0.00021 |
| 2030 | 18,476 | 16 | 0.09 | 0.00021 |
| 2031 | 18,482 | 6 | 0.03 | 0.00021 |
| 2032 | 18,489 | 7 | 0.04 | 0.00021 |
| 2033 | 18,486 | -3 | -0.02 | 0.00021 |
| 2034 | 18,486 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00021 |
| 2035 | 18,468 | -18 | -0.10 | 0.00021 |
| 2036 | 18,449 | -19 | -0.10 | 0.00020 |
| 2037 | 18,430 | -19 | -0.10 | 0.00020 |
| 2038 | 18,404 | -26 | -0.14 | 0.00020 |
| 2039 | 18,363 | -41 | -0.22 | 0.00020 |
| 2040 | 18,324 | -39 | -0.21 | 0.00020 |
| 2041 | 18,278 | -46 | -0.25 | 0.00020 |
| 2042 | 18,236 | -42 | -0.23 | 0.00019 |
| 2043 | 18,182 | -54 | -0.30 | 0.00019 |
| 2044 | 18,128 | -54 | -0.30 | 0.00019 |
| 2045 | 18,065 | -63 | -0.35 | 0.00019 |
| 2046 | 18,004 | -61 | -0.34 | 0.00019 |
| 2047 | 17,940 | -64 | -0.36 | 0.00019 |
| 2048 | 17,862 | -78 | -0.43 | 0.00018 |
| 2049 | 17,792 | -70 | -0.39 | 0.00018 |
| 2050 | 17,718 | -74 | -0.42 | 0.00018 |
| 2051 | 17,637 | -81 | -0.46 | 0.00018 |
| 2052 | 17,559 | -78 | -0.44 | 0.00018 |
| 2053 | 17,481 | -78 | -0.44 | 0.00018 |
| 2054 | 17,392 | -89 | -0.51 | 0.00017 |
| 2055 | 17,315 | -77 | -0.44 | 0.00017 |
| 2056 | 17,229 | -86 | -0.50 | 0.00017 |
| 2057 | 17,148 | -81 | -0.47 | 0.00017 |
| 2058 | 17,061 | -87 | -0.51 | 0.00017 |
| 2059 | 16,978 | -83 | -0.49 | 0.00017 |
| 2060 | 16,897 | -81 | -0.48 | 0.00017 |
| 2061 | 16,811 | -86 | -0.51 | 0.00017 |
| 2062 | 16,736 | -75 | -0.45 | 0.00016 |
| 2063 | 16,654 | -82 | -0.49 | 0.00016 |
| 2064 | 16,578 | -76 | -0.46 | 0.00016 |
| 2065 | 16,503 | -75 | -0.45 | 0.00016 |
| 2066 | 16,430 | -73 | -0.44 | 0.00016 |
| 2067 | 16,355 | -75 | -0.46 | 0.00016 |
| 2068 | 16,286 | -69 | -0.42 | 0.00016 |
| 2069 | 16,218 | -68 | -0.42 | 0.00016 |
| 2070 | 16,153 | -65 | -0.40 | 0.00016 |
| 2071 | 16,090 | -63 | -0.39 | 0.00016 |
| 2072 | 16,020 | -70 | -0.44 | 0.00015 |
| 2073 | 15,968 | -52 | -0.32 | 0.00015 |
| 2074 | 15,905 | -63 | -0.39 | 0.00015 |
| 2075 | 15,843 | -62 | -0.39 | 0.00015 |
| 2076 | 15,787 | -56 | -0.35 | 0.00015 |
| 2077 | 15,724 | -63 | -0.40 | 0.00015 |
| 2078 | 15,669 | -55 | -0.35 | 0.00015 |
| 2079 | 15,614 | -55 | -0.35 | 0.00015 |
| 2080 | 15,557 | -57 | -0.37 | 0.00015 |
| 2081 | 15,496 | -61 | -0.39 | 0.00015 |
| 2082 | 15,438 | -58 | -0.37 | 0.00015 |
| 2083 | 15,374 | -64 | -0.41 | 0.00015 |
| 2084 | 15,325 | -49 | -0.32 | 0.00015 |
| 2085 | 15,259 | -66 | -0.43 | 0.00015 |
| 2086 | 15,202 | -57 | -0.37 | 0.00015 |
| 2087 | 15,135 | -67 | -0.44 | 0.00015 |
| 2088 | 15,075 | -60 | -0.40 | 0.00014 |
| 2089 | 15,008 | -67 | -0.44 | 0.00014 |
| 2090 | 14,949 | -59 | -0.39 | 0.00014 |
| 2091 | 14,884 | -65 | -0.43 | 0.00014 |
| 2092 | 14,813 | -71 | -0.48 | 0.00014 |
| 2093 | 14,747 | -66 | -0.45 | 0.00014 |
| 2094 | 14,675 | -72 | -0.49 | 0.00014 |
| 2095 | 14,608 | -67 | -0.46 | 0.00014 |
| 2096 | 14,538 | -70 | -0.48 | 0.00014 |
| 2097 | 14,468 | -70 | -0.48 | 0.00014 |
| 2098 | 14,391 | -77 | -0.53 | 0.00014 |
| 2099 | 14,325 | -66 | -0.46 | inf |
| 2100 | 14,249 | -76 | -0.53 | inf |
| Year | Population | Growth | Share (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net Change | rate (%) | to World | ||
| 1950 | 7,441 | - | - | 0.00030 |
| 1951 | 7,503 | 62 | 0.83 | 0.00030 |
| 1952 | 7,630 | 127 | 1.69 | 0.00029 |
| 1953 | 7,823 | 193 | 2.53 | 0.00030 |
| 1954 | 8,055 | 232 | 2.97 | 0.00030 |
| 1955 | 8,322 | 267 | 3.31 | 0.00030 |
| 1956 | 8,596 | 274 | 3.29 | 0.00031 |
| 1957 | 8,893 | 297 | 3.46 | 0.00031 |
| 1958 | 9,187 | 294 | 3.31 | 0.00032 |
| 1959 | 9,486 | 299 | 3.25 | 0.00032 |
| 1960 | 9,771 | 285 | 3.00 | 0.00032 |
| 1961 | 10,049 | 278 | 2.85 | 0.00033 |
| 1962 | 10,317 | 268 | 2.67 | 0.00033 |
| 1963 | 10,569 | 252 | 2.44 | 0.00033 |
| 1964 | 10,799 | 230 | 2.18 | 0.00033 |
| 1965 | 11,003 | 204 | 1.89 | 0.00033 |
| 1966 | 11,179 | 176 | 1.60 | 0.00033 |
| 1967 | 11,326 | 147 | 1.31 | 0.00033 |
| 1968 | 11,464 | 138 | 1.22 | 0.00032 |
| 1969 | 11,618 | 154 | 1.34 | 0.00032 |
| 1970 | 11,811 | 193 | 1.66 | 0.00032 |
| 1971 | 12,053 | 242 | 2.05 | 0.00032 |
| 1972 | 12,340 | 287 | 2.38 | 0.00032 |
| 1973 | 12,628 | 288 | 2.33 | 0.00032 |
| 1974 | 12,831 | 203 | 1.61 | 0.00032 |
| 1975 | 12,904 | 73 | 0.57 | 0.00032 |
| 1976 | 12,837 | -67 | -0.52 | 0.00031 |
| 1977 | 12,646 | -191 | -1.49 | 0.00030 |
| 1978 | 12,403 | -243 | -1.92 | 0.00029 |
| 1979 | 12,229 | -174 | -1.40 | 0.00028 |
| 1980 | 12,179 | -50 | -0.41 | 0.00027 |
| 1981 | 12,279 | 100 | 0.82 | 0.00027 |
| 1982 | 12,516 | 237 | 1.93 | 0.00027 |
| 1983 | 12,843 | 327 | 2.61 | 0.00027 |
| 1984 | 13,195 | 352 | 2.74 | 0.00028 |
| 1985 | 13,528 | 333 | 2.52 | 0.00028 |
| 1986 | 13,831 | 303 | 2.24 | 0.00028 |
| 1987 | 14,123 | 292 | 2.11 | 0.00028 |
| 1988 | 14,402 | 279 | 1.98 | 0.00028 |
| 1989 | 14,709 | 307 | 2.13 | 0.00028 |
| 1990 | 15,058 | 349 | 2.37 | 0.00028 |
| 1991 | 15,441 | 383 | 2.54 | 0.00029 |
| 1992 | 15,856 | 415 | 2.69 | 0.00029 |
| 1993 | 16,290 | 434 | 2.74 | 0.00029 |
| 1994 | 16,717 | 427 | 2.62 | 0.00030 |
| 1995 | 17,164 | 447 | 2.67 | 0.00030 |
| 1996 | 17,593 | 429 | 2.50 | 0.00030 |
| 1997 | 18,014 | 421 | 2.39 | 0.00030 |
| 1998 | 18,410 | 396 | 2.20 | 0.00031 |
| 1999 | 18,776 | 366 | 1.99 | 0.00031 |
| 2000 | 19,105 | 329 | 1.75 | 0.00031 |
| 2001 | 19,386 | 281 | 1.47 | 0.00031 |
| 2002 | 19,637 | 251 | 1.29 | 0.00031 |
| 2003 | 19,809 | 172 | 0.88 | 0.00031 |
| 2004 | 19,867 | 58 | 0.29 | 0.00031 |
| 2005 | 19,781 | -86 | -0.43 | 0.00030 |
| 2006 | 19,540 | -241 | -1.22 | 0.00029 |
| 2007 | 19,158 | -382 | -1.95 | 0.00028 |
| 2008 | 18,704 | -454 | -2.37 | 0.00027 |
| 2009 | 18,285 | -419 | -2.24 | 0.00027 |
| 2010 | 17,955 | -330 | -1.80 | 0.00026 |
| 2011 | 17,745 | -210 | -1.17 | 0.00025 |
| 2012 | 17,640 | -105 | -0.59 | 0.00025 |
| 2013 | 17,606 | -34 | -0.19 | 0.00024 |
| 2014 | 17,626 | 20 | 0.11 | 0.00024 |
| 2015 | 17,665 | 39 | 0.22 | 0.00024 |
| 2016 | 17,725 | 60 | 0.34 | 0.00024 |
| 2017 | 17,808 | 83 | 0.47 | 0.00023 |
| 2018 | 17,907 | 99 | 0.56 | 0.00023 |
| 2019 | 18,008 | 101 | 0.56 | 0.00023 |