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Fertility & birth rates in Palau and Vanuatu

Updated on by Georank team

Palau has an annual birth rate of 10.9 births per 1,000 people, compared to 28.1 for Vanuatu. The average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime — the fertility rate, is 1.91 in Palau and 3.6 in Vanuatu — 88.6% difference.

1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -73.5% in Palau and by -47% in Vanuatu — in 1960, it was 7.19 and 6.78, respectively.

Birth rates facts compared:

  • Palau is ranked 133/196 by birth rate compared to 40/196 for Vanuatu.
  • The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 28.5 in Palau — it's 28 in Vanuatu.
  • Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 29.9 in Palau vs 66.2 in Vanuatu.
  • In Palau, 21.4% of the population is composed of women of reproductive age (15-49), compared to 24.3% in Vanuatu.
  • Excluding migration, the natural population change due to births and deaths from 2022 to 2023 was -0.06% in Palau and +2.3% in Vanuatu.

Birth rate data compared

Palau Vanuatu
Fertility rate 1.91 3.6
Birth rate 10.9 28.1
Birth rate rank 133/196 40/196
Average age at childbearing 28.5 years 28 years
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 30.1 65.3
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 96.6 189
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ 15.3 49.9
Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population 21.4% 24.3%
Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 n/a 37.1%
Share of births attended by skilled health staff 97.2% 89.4%
Maternal mortality per live birth 0.09% 0.1%
Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) 1.17% 0.87%
Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) 1.91% 1.42%
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births 2.23% 1.68%
Population change due to births and deaths -10 +7,359
Natural population change rank 158/196 121/196
Natural population change rate -0.06% +2.3%
Population growth -0.18% +2.3%
Population growth rank 176/197 40/197
Life expectancy 69.5 years 71.8 years

Fertility rate in Palau vs Vanuatu chart

According to the latest available data on birth rates, the fertility rate in Palau was 1.91 children per woman in 2023, compared to 3.6 in Vanuatu in 2023. The replacement level is considered to be 2.1 children per woman.

Check Palau vs Vanuatu population clock for a dynamic visualization of the changing population.

The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.

Palau
Factual

UN forecast
Vanuatu
Factual

UN forecast

Births per woman

Year Fertility rate
Palau Vanuatu
1960 7.19 6.78
1961 7.17 6.73
1962 7.15 6.67
1963 7.12 6.62
1964 7.08 6.57
1965 7.01 6.52
1966 6.93 6.51
1967 6.84 6.51
1968 6.71 6.46
1969 6.58 6.41
1970 6.39 6.35
1971 6.16 6.29
1972 5.9 6.23
1973 5.59 6.15
1974 5.26 6.06
1975 4.9 5.98
1976 4.53 5.89
1977 4.09 5.81
1978 3.74 5.77
1979 3.49 5.73
1980 3.35 5.69
1981 3.28 5.65
1982 3.22 5.6
1983 3.14 5.55
1984 3.08 5.49
1985 3.01 5.43
1986 2.98 5.38
1987 2.93 5.33
1988 2.91 5.27
1989 2.92 5.21
1990 2.88 5.17
1991 2.74 5.13
1992 2.71 5.09
1993 2.73 5.02
1994 2.66 4.94
1995 2.55 4.85
1996 2.39 4.75
1997 2.19 4.66
1998 2.01 4.6
1999 1.91 4.56
2000 1.82 4.54
2001 1.87 4.5
2002 1.92 4.38
2003 1.96 4.29
2004 1.99 4.21
2005 2.02 4.13
2006 2 4.1
2007 1.97 4.12
2008 1.95 4.16
2009 1.94 4.16
2010 1.94 4.13
2011 1.97 4.09
2012 2.01 4.06
2013 2.05 4.04
2014 2.03 4
2015 2 3.95
2016 2.06 3.92
2017 2.02 3.88
2018 1.97 3.83
2019 1.98 3.79
2020 1.97 3.74
2021 1.95 3.7
2022 1.93 3.65
2023 1.91 3.6
2024 1.88 3.57
2025 1.86 3.53
2026 1.84 3.5
2027 1.82 3.46
2028 1.81 3.42
2029 1.8 3.39
2030 1.79 3.35
2031 1.78 3.32
2032 1.77 3.28
2033 1.76 3.25
2034 1.76 3.21
2035 1.75 3.18
2036 1.75 3.15
2037 1.75 3.13
2038 1.74 3.1
2039 1.74 3.08
2040 1.74 3.05
2041 1.74 3.03
2042 1.73 3
2043 1.73 2.97
2044 1.73 2.94
2045 1.73 2.92
2046 1.73 2.9
2047 1.72 2.88
2048 1.72 2.85
2049 1.72 2.83
2050 1.72 2.8

Children 0-14 years as share of population

Palau
Factual

UN forecast
Vanuatu
Factual

UN forecast
Year Share of people 0-14 years old
Palau Vanuatu
1960 47% 44.6%
1961 48.2% 44.8%
1962 49.1% 45.1%
1963 49.8% 45.2%
1964 50.1% 45.4%
1965 50.3% 45.5%
1966 50.2% 45.7%
1967 49.6% 45.8%
1968 48.4% 45.8%
1969 47.2% 45.8%
1970 46.5% 45.7%
1971 46.2% 45.7%
1972 46% 45.6%
1973 45.6% 45.5%
1974 44.9% 45.5%
1975 44.2% 45.4%
1976 43.4% 45.2%
1977 42.7% 45.1%
1978 41.9% 45%
1979 41.1% 44.5%
1980 40.1% 44%
1981 38.9% 43.9%
1982 37.7% 44%
1983 36.7% 44%
1984 36% 44.1%
1985 35.4% 44.2%
1986 34.5% 44.2%
1987 33.2% 44.1%
1988 32% 44.1%
1989 31% 44%
1990 30.2% 43.9%
1991 29.4% 43.9%
1992 28.8% 44.1%
1993 28.5% 44.8%
1994 28.2% 45.2%
1995 28% 45%
1996 27.5% 44.8%
1997 26.7% 44.4%
1998 25.8% 44%
1999 24.8% 43.5%
2000 24.1% 42.9%
2001 24% 42.4%
2002 24.1% 41.8%
2003 24.2% 41.3%
2004 24.2% 40.7%
2005 23.9% 40.2%
2006 23.2% 39.6%
2007 22.5% 39.2%
2008 21.9% 38.8%
2009 21.4% 38.5%
2010 21% 38.2%
2011 20.6% 38.1%
2012 20.3% 38.2%
2013 20.2% 38.2%
2014 20.3% 38.4%
2015 20.3% 38.5%
2016 20.1% 38.7%
2017 19.9% 38.8%
2018 19.7% 38.9%
2019 19.5% 39%
2020 19.2% 39%
2021 19.1% 39%
2022 18.8% 38.8%
2023 18.5% 38.6%
2024 18.2% 38.3%
2025 17.9% 38%
2026 17.6% 37.6%
2027 17.3% 37.1%
2028 17% 36.7%
2029 16.7% 36.2%
2030 16.5% 35.8%
2031 16.3% 35.3%
2032 16.1% 34.9%
2033 16% 34.5%
2034 16% 34.1%
2035 15.9% 33.7%
2036 15.9% 33.4%
2037 15.9% 33.2%
2038 15.9% 32.9%
2039 15.9% 32.7%
2040 16% 32.5%
2041 16% 32.3%
2042 16.1% 32.2%
2043 16.2% 32%
2044 16.2% 31.8%
2045 16.3% 31.6%
2046 16.3% 31.5%
2047 16.3% 31.3%
2048 16.4% 31.1%
2049 16.4% 30.9%
2050 16.3% 30.6%

Children aged 0-14 make up 18.2% of the population in Palau and 38.3% in Vanuatu in 2024, compared to 30.2% and 43.9% respectively in 1990.

Demographics of Palau and Vanuatu compared.

Natural population change in Palau vs Vanuatu by year

For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been +0.15% in Palau and +2.53% in Vanuatu. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.

Palau
Vanuatu

Natural population change

Year Population change due to births and deaths
Palau Vanuatu
1960 296 1,796
1961 298 1,872
1962 296 1,947
1963 291 2,025
1964 284 2,098
1965 275 2,180
1966 268 2,278
1967 266 2,384
1968 275 2,470
1969 283 2,529
1970 286 2,597
1971 287 2,685
1972 280 2,775
1973 268 2,876
1974 256 2,968
1975 249 3,074
1976 236 3,174
1977 213 3,285
1978 193 3,428
1979 176 3,590
1980 165 3,383
1981 161 3,592
1982 170 3,778
1983 176 3,944
1984 181 4,088
1985 181 4,219
1986 182 4,360
1987 182 4,427
1988 183 4,577
1989 185 4,656
1990 181 4,762
1991 175 4,859
1992 183 4,941
1993 196 4,973
1994 195 4,973
1995 186 4,945
1996 166 4,897
1997 140 4,854
1998 116 4,866
1999 100 4,871
2000 85 5,026
2001 88 5,144
2002 88 5,181
2003 86 5,258
2004 83 5,353
2005 80 5,454
2006 79 5,606
2007 80 5,842
2008 79 6,138
2009 81 6,362
2010 81 6,548
2011 83 6,715
2012 86 6,877
2013 88 7,036
2014 73 7,143
2015 55 7,220
2016 53 7,315
2017 43 7,371
2018 29 7,379
2019 23 7,364
2020 8 7,233
2021 -3 7,199
2022 -7 7,358
2023 -10 7,359

Fertility rates around the globe

Fertility rate

Maternal mortality chart: Palau vs Vanuatu

The maternal mortality rate, which is the probability of dying during childbirth or within 42 days of pregnancy termination, is 89 deaths per 100,000 live births in Palau, compared to 100 deaths in Vanuatu.

Palau
Vanuatu
Year Maternal mortality per 100K births
Palau Vanuatu
1985 95 211
1986 92 194
1987 88 200
1988 96 172
1989 93 162
1990 100 151
1991 106 140
1992 113 140
1993 109 133
1994 116 131
1995 111 131
1996 123 129
1997 125 131
1998 119 134
1999 115 146
2000 119 133
2001 118 132
2002 117 128
2003 108 131
2004 106 131
2005 105 127
2006 105 123
2007 98 120
2008 99 117
2009 94 114
2010 96 114
2011 83 112
2012 84 109
2013 85 110
2014 78 110
2015 79 109
2016 80 107
2017 80 107
2018 82 108
2019 84 105
2020 117 107
2021 109 124
2022 121 105
2023 89 100

Under-five mortality rates

The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 2.23% in Palau and 1.68% in Vanuatu. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.

Palau
Vanuatu

Probability that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five

Year Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births
Palau Vanuatu
1960 - 15.2%
1961 - 14.7%
1962 - 14.3%
1963 - 13.8%
1964 - 13.4%
1965 9.58% 12.9%
1966 9.27% 12.4%
1967 8.97% 12%
1968 8.65% 11.5%
1969 8.34% 11%
1970 8% 10.6%
1971 7.62% 10.2%
1972 7.24% 9.73%
1973 6.85% 9.34%
1974 6.46% 8.95%
1975 6.06% 8.58%
1976 5.7% 8.21%
1977 5.37% 7.84%
1978 5.09% 7.45%
1979 4.84% 7.07%
1980 4.63% 6.67%
1981 4.44% 6.27%
1982 4.27% 5.87%
1983 4.13% 5.48%
1984 4.01% 5.12%
1985 3.9% 4.78%
1986 3.81% 4.47%
1987 3.73% 4.2%
1988 3.66% 3.96%
1989 3.6% 3.76%
1990 3.53% 3.58%
1991 3.47% 3.43%
1992 3.4% 3.29%
1993 3.32% 3.18%
1994 3.23% 3.08%
1995 3.14% 3%
1996 3.04% 2.92%
1997 2.94% 2.86%
1998 2.84% 2.79%
1999 2.74% 2.74%
2000 2.65% 2.68%
2001 2.55% 2.63%
2002 2.46% 2.58%
2003 2.38% 2.54%
2004 2.29% 2.5%
2005 2.21% 2.45%
2006 2.14% 2.4%
2007 2.07% 2.34%
2008 2.02% 2.27%
2009 1.98% 2.2%
2010 1.97% 2.12%
2011 1.97% 2.05%
2012 1.99% 1.99%
2013 2.03% 1.94%
2014 2.08% 1.9%
2015 2.14% 1.87%
2016 2.21% 1.84%
2017 2.28% 1.82%
2018 2.32% 1.8%
2019 2.34% 1.78%
2020 2.33% 1.77%
2021 2.3% 1.74%
2022 2.27% 1.71%
2023 2.23% 1.68%

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Birth rate comparisons

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