Palau ranked 194/197 by economy size with a GDP of $277M and 67/197 by GDP per capita at $15,611.
In 2026, Palau made up 0.0002% of the world's economy, compared to 0.0004% in 1970.
The chart below shows GDP in nominal terms, GDP adjusted for inflation (in constant dollars), and a bar chart of year-over-year inflation-adjusted growth.
| Year | GDP | GDP growth | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current $ | Constant $ | ||
| 1970 | $11,563,041 | $148,308,262 | - |
| 1971 | $12,706,874 | $148,495,634 | 9.89% |
| 1972 | $13,956,474 | $149,002,451 | 9.83% |
| 1973 | $15,331,889 | $149,303,473 | 9.86% |
| 1974 | $16,848,759 | $149,461,040 | 9.89% |
| 1975 | $18,521,112 | $149,498,804 | 9.93% |
| 1976 | $20,364,420 | $149,436,726 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $22,308,104 | $151,573,827 | 9.54% |
| 1978 | $24,530,015 | $150,833,245 | 9.96% |
| 1979 | $27,004,251 | $150,268,907 | 10.1% |
| 1980 | $29,728,054 | $149,706,684 | 10.1% |
| 1981 | $32,726,594 | $149,146,561 | 10.1% |
| 1982 | $36,027,583 | $148,588,530 | 10.1% |
| 1983 | $39,661,530 | $151,459,273 | 10.1% |
| 1984 | $44,814,259 | $158,459,716 | 13% |
| 1985 | $51,030,637 | $167,074,388 | 13.9% |
| 1986 | $58,109,314 | $176,157,398 | 13.9% |
| 1987 | $66,169,905 | $185,734,205 | 13.9% |
| 1988 | $75,348,615 | $195,831,657 | 13.9% |
| 1989 | $85,800,543 | $206,478,058 | 13.9% |
| 1990 | $97,702,303 | $217,703,251 | 13.9% |
| 1991 | $106,555,300 | $228,382,085 | 9.06% |
| 1992 | $104,771,300 | $213,765,541 | -1.67% |
| 1993 | $96,455,700 | $187,472,296 | -7.94% |
| 1994 | $106,138,500 | $201,157,831 | 10% |
| 1995 | $121,018,500 | $223,084,012 | 14% |
| 1996 | $137,494,600 | $246,284,846 | 13.6% |
| 1997 | $143,860,800 | $251,949,376 | 4.63% |
| 1998 | $149,079,600 | $256,988,326 | 3.63% |
| 1999 | $144,206,500 | $243,110,935 | -3.27% |
| 2000 | $149,551,483 | $236,780,563 | 3.71% |
| 2001 | $159,446,228 | $254,174,212 | 6.62% |
| 2002 | $162,658,722 | $266,158,469 | 2.01% |
| 2003 | $154,566,788 | $260,495,248 | -4.97% |
| 2004 | $166,363,739 | $269,540,972 | 7.63% |
| 2005 | $190,961,685 | $277,316,764 | 14.8% |
| 2006 | $193,611,359 | $277,949,312 | 1.39% |
| 2007 | $200,789,764 | $281,625,452 | 3.71% |
| 2008 | $201,067,734 | $266,995,278 | 0.14% |
| 2009 | $189,854,706 | $249,543,076 | -5.58% |
| 2010 | $188,042,374 | $242,947,000 | -0.95% |
| 2011 | $198,742,371 | $255,317,876 | 5.69% |
| 2012 | $215,616,882 | $259,543,767 | 8.49% |
| 2013 | $224,110,611 | $252,919,480 | 3.94% |
| 2014 | $245,591,095 | $265,990,771 | 9.58% |
| 2015 | $287,057,526 | $287,057,526 | 16.9% |
| 2016 | $305,227,020 | $290,866,364 | 6.33% |
| 2017 | $292,148,590 | $282,170,907 | -4.28% |
| 2018 | $287,998,352 | $278,660,963 | -1.42% |
| 2019 | $282,041,290 | $277,652,130 | -2.07% |
| 2020 | $261,688,507 | $258,570,955 | -7.22% |
| 2021 | $231,343,460 | $224,284,364 | -11.6% |
| 2022 | $243,826,813 | $227,677,067 | 5.4% |
| 2023 | $276,733,063 | $232,722,386 | 13.5% |
Economic Statistics of Palau
Palau
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross domestic product |
$277M
2023 |
194/197 |
| GDP growth |
13.5%
2022-2023 |
19/196 |
| GDP per capita |
$15,611
2023 |
67/197 |
| GDP per capita, PPP |
$18,230
2023 |
103/197 |
| Average annual personal income after taxes |
$8,654
2026 |
81/197 |
| Government expenditure, % of GDP |
53.1%
2026 |
11/195 |
| Consumer prices inflation |
2.9%
2025-2026 |
105/195 |
| Unemployment rate |
0.77%
2020 |
191/196 |
| Population |
17618
|
194/197 |
Palau's GDP per capita
Palau has a GDP per capita of $15,611, ranking 67/197, a GDP per capita based on purchasing power parity (PPP) of $18,230, ranking 103/197, and a median annual after tax income of $8,654, ranking 81/197.
| Year | Current $ | |
|---|---|---|
| GDP per capita | GDP per capita, PPP | |
| 1970 | $1,017 | - |
| 1971 | $1,081 | - |
| 1972 | $1,145 | - |
| 1973 | $1,221 | - |
| 1974 | $1,328 | - |
| 1975 | $1,464 | - |
| 1976 | $1,616 | - |
| 1977 | $1,781 | - |
| 1978 | $1,972 | - |
| 1979 | $2,189 | - |
| 1980 | $2,423 | - |
| 1981 | $2,639 | - |
| 1982 | $2,838 | - |
| 1983 | $3,049 | - |
| 1984 | $3,360 | - |
| 1985 | $3,728 | - |
| 1986 | $4,144 | - |
| 1987 | $4,616 | - |
| 1988 | $5,145 | - |
| 1989 | $5,741 | - |
| 1990 | $6,403 | $9,609 |
| 1991 | $6,824 | $10,184 |
| 1992 | $6,553 | $9,521 |
| 1993 | $5,892 | $8,348 |
| 1994 | $6,329 | $8,932 |
| 1995 | $7,038 | $9,863 |
| 1996 | $7,788 | $10,800 |
| 1997 | $7,945 | $10,957 |
| 1998 | $8,048 | $11,048 |
| 1999 | $7,630 | $10,388 |
| 2000 | $7,798 | $10,197 |
| 2001 | $8,239 | $11,092 |
| 2002 | $8,340 | $11,704 |
| 2003 | $7,862 | $11,588 |
| 2004 | $8,394 | $12,213 |
| 2005 | $9,635 | $12,960 |
| 2006 | $9,882 | $13,545 |
| 2007 | $10,403 | $14,308 |
| 2008 | $10,578 | $14,039 |
| 2009 | $10,148 | $13,414 |
| 2010 | $10,222 | $13,443 |
| 2011 | $10,994 | $14,673 |
| 2012 | $12,137 | $15,461 |
| 2013 | $12,699 | $15,425 |
| 2014 | $13,863 | $16,442 |
| 2015 | $16,154 | $17,854 |
| 2016 | $17,150 | $18,235 |
| 2017 | $16,402 | $17,991 |
| 2018 | $16,167 | $18,172 |
| 2019 | $15,847 | $18,422 |
| 2020 | $14,708 | $17,390 |
| 2021 | $13,009 | $15,781 |
| 2022 | $13,730 | $17,185 |
| 2023 | $15,611 | $18,230 |
Inflation rate by year
Over the past 20 years, Palau has had an average annual inflation rate of 3.62%. In 2026, inflation was 2.9%. The bar chart below shows consumer price inflation by year.
| Year | Inflation |
|---|---|
| 2001 | -0.7% |
| 2002 | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 0.6% |
| 2004 | 0.5% |
| 2005 | 3.6% |
| 2006 | 4.2% |
| 2007 | 3% |
| 2008 | 9.9% |
| 2009 | 4.7% |
| 2010 | 1.1% |
| 2011 | 2.6% |
| 2012 | 5.4% |
| 2013 | 2.8% |
| 2014 | 4% |
| 2015 | 2.2% |
| 2016 | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 1.1% |
| 2018 | 2.4% |
| 2019 | 0.4% |
| 2020 | 0.7% |
| 2021 | -0.5% |
| 2022 | 13.2% |
| 2023 | 12.4% |
| 2024 | 3.6% |
| 2025 | 1.8% |
| 2026 | 2.9% |
Balance of trade
|
Palau
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
Current account balance
|
-$134M
2023 |
91/190 |
| Current account balance, % of GDP |
-48.5%
2023 |
189/190 |
| Goods imports |
$164M
2023 |
184/189 |
| Goods exports |
$1.74M
2023 |
188/189 |
| Service imports |
$43M
2023 |
187/189 |
| Service exports |
$61.9M
2023 |
179/189 |
| Imports of goods and services, % of GDP |
80.4%
2023 |
22/181 |
| Exports of goods and services, % of GDP |
26.3%
2023 |
126/193 |
Palau's top 10 trading partners
Palau's biggest trading partner accounting for 37.5%% of all exports and imports is the United States, with a trade balance between the two of -$53.4M — Palau exports $226K worth of goods and services to the United States and imports $53.7M.
Below is the list of the top 10 trade partners of Palau.
| Rank | Country | Trade value | Share of total trade | Export to | Import from | Top export to | Top import from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
United States
|
$53.9M | 37.5% | $226K | $53.7M | Animal & marine products | Processed food, beverages & tobacco |
| 2 |
Singapore
|
$26.3M | 18.3% | $2K | $26.3M | Animal & marine products | Raw materials & minerals |
| 3 |
Japan
|
$22.2M | 15.5% | $6.66M | $15.6M | Animal & marine products | Machinery & equipment |
| 4 |
South Korea
|
$15.9M | 11% | $7K | $15.9M | Metals | Raw materials & minerals |
| 5 |
China
|
$8.82M | 6.13% | $10K | $8.81M | Wood & paper products | Machinery & equipment |
| 6 |
Philippines
|
$6.15M | 4.28% | $7K | $6.14M | Animal & marine products | Processed food, beverages & tobacco |
| 7 |
Australia
|
$1.88M | 1.31% | $2K | $1.88M | Animal & marine products | Processed food, beverages & tobacco |
| 8 |
New Zealand
|
$1.54M | 1.08% | $0 | $1.54M | Animal & marine products | Machinery & equipment |
| 9 |
Thailand
|
$1.01M | 0.7% | $0 | $1.01M | Animal & marine products | Raw agricultural goods |
| 10 |
Fiji
|
$815K | 0.57% | $10K | $805K | Raw materials & minerals | Machinery & equipment |
Palau's top 10 exports
|
Palau
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Animal & marine products | $7.6M | 159/192 |
| Transport & tourism services | $4.85M | 184/188 |
| Business & finance services | $813K | 186/188 |
| Machinery & equipment | $637K | 184/193 |
| Metals | $179K | 186/192 |
| Raw materials & minerals | $69K | 184/193 |
| Processed food, beverages & tobacco | $46K | 191/192 |
| Chemicals & pharma | $38K | 188/193 |
| Wood & paper products | $31K | 183/192 |
| Textiles & consumer goods | $14K | 191/193 |
Palau's top 10 imports
|
Palau
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Raw materials & minerals | $41.7M | 183/193 |
| Machinery & equipment | $36.5M | 186/193 |
| Transport & tourism services | $31.5M | 187/188 |
| Processed food, beverages & tobacco | $20.5M | 190/193 |
| Chemicals & pharma | $13.6M | 187/193 |
| Textiles & consumer goods | $11M | 188/193 |
| Business & finance services | $9.74M | 182/188 |
| Animal & marine products | $9.02M | 187/193 |
| Metals | $7.41M | 187/193 |
| Raw agricultural goods | $6.45M | 191/193 |
Economic freedom indices
|
Palau
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Economic freedom | 62 | 84/197 |
More economic indicators
|
Palau
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Services, % of GDP |
74.8%
2023 |
13/191 |
| Industry, % of GDP |
10.1%
2023 |
183/194 |
| Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP |
3.04%
2023 |
128/193 |
|
GNI, Atlas method
|
$262M
2023 |
192/194 |
| GNI per capita, PPP |
$18,320
2023 |
96/191 |
|
Net foreign direct investment
|
-$79.9M
2023 |
72/189 |
|
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
|
$69.1M
2024 |
149/193 |
|
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
|
$0
2024 |
160/193 |
| Poverty at national poverty lines |
24.9%
2020 |
75/176 |
|
Gross capital formation, % of GDP
|
35.6%
2023 |
13/178 |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
GDP per capita map
GDP per capita
Relevant pages:
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Economy comparisons
The current account balance is the sum of net trade in goods and services, net earnings from cross-border investments, and net transfer payments. It reflects a country's economic transactions with the rest of the world and is a fundamental component of the balance of payments. A surplus indicates that a country exports more than it imports, while a deficit shows the opposite.
Gross National Income (GNI) measures a country's total income. It encompasses income earned by residents, businesses, and foreign sources, defined as employee compensation and investment profits. GNI adds product taxes not included elsewhere and subtracts subsidies. It accounts for income from residents working abroad but excludes earnings from foreigners within the country.
A negative value for Net Foreign Direct Investment indicates a country is a net receiver of investments, as foreign inflows exceed outflows after Balance of Payments adjustments. A positive value indicates a net provider, with outflows exceeding inflows. Inflows are credits (increasing foreign claims on domestic assets), while outflows are debits (increasing domestic assets abroad).
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net inflows) shows how much capital foreign investors bring into a country after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of overseas companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in the reporting country. A positive number means more capital entered the country than was withdrawn, while a negative number means foreign investors pulled out more than they invested.
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net outflows) shows how much capital residents of a country invest abroad after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of domestic companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in other countries. A positive number means more capital was invested abroad than withdrawn, while a negative number means residents pulled back more than they invested.
Formerly gross domestic investment, gross capital formation measures the share of a country’s economic output invested in fixed assets, including buildings, machinery, and infrastructure. It indicates how much of the economy is devoted to building productive capacity.