Palau at its true size
Palau covers 466 km², number 180 of 194 countries by area. Home to 17,663 people (2025). Sitting near the equator, it is one of the few places Mercator gets almost right.
Equal-area projection · Natural Earth 50m
| Area | 466 km² Wikidata |
|---|---|
| Population | 17,663 World Bank, 2025 |
| Density | 38 per km² |
| Capital | Koror |
| Local time in Koror | |
| Time zone | UTC+9 IANA |
| Currency | United States dollar (USD) Wikidata |
| Languages | English, Japanese, Palauan |
| Traffic | On the right |
| Region | Micronesia, Oceania |
| Status | Independent state |
| Coast | Has a coastline |
| Calling code | +680 |
| Codes | PW · PLW · 585 |
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Weather data: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0), updated hourly · Temperatures on the map
Where Palau ranks
Among the independent states, in 35 rankings. Each links to its table.
People
- Population#192 of 19417,663 people#12 of 13 in Oceania
- Population density#143 of 19438 people per km²#8 of 13 in Oceania
- Urban population#46 of 19279% urban#4 of 13 in Oceania
- Fertility rate#103 of 1921.88 births per woman#11 of 13 in Oceania
- Population growth#172 of 192−0.18% a year#11 of 13 in Oceania
- Birth rate#130 of 19210.7 births per 1,000 people#12 of 13 in Oceania
- Death rate#19 of 19211.7 deaths per 1,000 people#1 of 13 in Oceania
- Children under 15#129 of 19217.9% under 15#11 of 13 in Oceania
- People over 65#72 of 19211.8% aged 65 and over#3 of 13 in Oceania
- Net migration#114 of 192−0.9 per 1,000 people#6 of 13 in Oceania
- Refugees abroad#89 of 1900.28 refugees abroad per 1,000 people#4 of 13 in Oceania
Health & education
- Life expectancy#133 of 19269.4 years#7 of 13 in Oceania
- Infant mortality#71 of 19118.6 infant deaths per 1,000 live births#6 of 13 in Oceania
- Doctors#87 of 1781.81 doctors per 1,000 people#3 of 9 in Oceania
- University enrolment#42 of 14571.8% gross enrolment#4 of 8 in Oceania
- Human Development Index#83 of 190an index of 0.786#3 of 13 in Oceania
Economy
- GNI per capita#54 of 185$19,890 a person#4 of 13 in Oceania
- Internet users#82 of 18484% online#4 of 11 in Oceania
- GDP per capita (PPP)#82 of 184$23,052 a person#3 of 13 in Oceania
- GDP growth#26 of 187+6.3% a year#1 of 13 in Oceania
- Inflation#170 of 176−0.4% a year#10 of 11 in Oceania
- Foreign investment#8 of 18416.6% of GDP#1 of 12 in Oceania
- Exports#90 of 16832.7% of GDP#5 of 12 in Oceania
- Mobile subscriptions#43 of 191135 subscriptions per 100 people#1 of 12 in Oceania
Energy & environment
- CO₂ per person#1 of 18582.8 tonnes a person#1 of 13 in Oceania
- Forest area#4 of 19291% forest#2 of 13 in Oceania
- Renewable energy#179 of 1900.9% renewable#13 of 13 in Oceania
- Access to electricity#1 of 192100.0% with electricity#1 of 13 in Oceania
- Air pollution (PM2.5)#183 of 1914.9 µg/m³#7 of 13 in Oceania
- Protected land#28 of 19131.4% of the land protected#2 of 13 in Oceania
- Arable land#178 of 1900.7% of the land arable#11 of 12 in Oceania
Governance & safety
Countries of a similar size
Every country within 25% of Palau’s area, lit up on the map →
- Andorra1.0×Palau and Andorra are almost exactly the same size.
- Seychelles1.02×Palau and Seychelles are almost exactly the same size.
- Antigua and Barbuda1.06×Palau is 6% larger than Antigua and Barbuda.
- Barbados1.06×Palau is 6% larger than Barbados.
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines1.2×Palau is 20% larger than Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
- Saint Lucia0.76×Palau is 24% smaller than Saint Lucia.
How many times does Palau fit into…
- Russia: about 36642 times
- Canada: about 21426 times
- United States: about 21087 times
The land itself
Rivers, summits and lakes Palau shares with the rest of the world. Turn on “Rivers & lakes” and “Physical names” in the atlas to see them on the map.
Summits
- Mount Ngerchelchuus242 m
Rivers are listed by the published length of their whole course, not the part inside Palau. Figures from Wikidata, features from Natural Earth.
Questions about Palau
- How big is Palau?
- Palau covers 466 km², which makes it number 180 of 194 countries by area. About 17,663 people live there (2025), 38 per km².
- Is Palau bigger than Andorra?
- Palau and Andorra are almost exactly the same size. Palau: 466 km²; Andorra: 468 km².
- How much does the Mercator map distort Palau?
- Palau lies close to the equator, so Mercator draws it at nearly its true size. It is the countries far from the equator that Mercator inflates.
- Does Palau have land borders?
- No. Palau has no land neighbours; every border is a coastline.