Palau vs Vatican comparison: 55 facts & rankings

Palau has a population of 17.7K (ranked 194/197), compared with 1K in The Vatican (ranked 197/197). Palau's land area is 177.6 sq mi versus 0.17 sq mi for The Vatican (ranked 180th vs. 197th).

By GDP, Palau ranks 194/197 ($277M) and The Vatican ranks 197/197 ($19.8M). By GDP per capita, Palau ranks 67/197 ($15,611), while The Vatican ranks 59/197 ($19,800).

Main facts and rankings

	Palau	Vatican
Population	17629	936
Population rank	194/197	197/197
GDP	$277M 2023	$19.8M 2025
GDP rank	194/197	197/197
GDP per capita	$15,611 2023	$19,800 2025
GDP per capita rank	67/197	59/197
GDP per capita, PPP	$18,230 2023	$39,191 2025
Average annual personal income after taxes	$9,869 2026	$18,169 2026
Land area	177.6 sq mi	0.17 sq mi
Population density	99.3 ppl/mi² 2026	5,493 ppl/mi² 2026
Fertility rate	1.91 2023	n/a
Median age	39.2 years 2024	n/a
Life expectancy	69.6 years 2026	83.4 years 2026

Palau and Vatican: Comparison Charts

Palau vs. Vatican life expectancy calculator

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Year	Life expectancy, years
Year	Palau	Vatican
2026	69.6	83.4
2025	69.5	83.3
2024	69.4	83.1
2023	69.3	83
2022	68.9	83.3
2021	68.6	82.9
2020	68.7	83
2019	69	83.6
2018	69	83.3
2017	69	82.7
2016	69	82.9
2015	69.1	82.5
2014	69.1	82.6
2013	69	82.5
2012	68.9	82
2011	68.6	81.7
2010	68.3	81.5
2009	68	81.3
2008	67.6	81.4
2007	67.1	81.3
2006	66.6	81.2
2005	66.2	80.6
2004	65.8	80.2
2003	65.4	79.8
2002	65.1	80
2001	64.8	79.9
2000	64.5	79.3
1999	64.2	78.7
1998	64	78.3
1997	63.7	78.2
1996	63.5	78.5
1995	63.3	77.8
1994	63.1	77.7
1993	63	77
1992	62.9	77.3
1991	62.8	76.9
1990	62.8	76.9
1989	62.8	76.8
1988	62.8	76.4
1987	62.8	76.2
1986	62.8	75.7
1985	62.7	75.5
1984	62.6	75.1
1983	62.5	74.7
1982	62.3	74.8
1981	62.1	74.3
1980	61.9	74.1
1979	61.6	74
1978	61.3	73.7
1977	60.9	73.3
1976	60.5	72.9
1975	60	72.6
1974	59.5	72.7
1973	59	71.9
1972	58.6	72
1971	58.1	71.7
1970	57.7	71.5
1969	57.3	70.7
1968	56.9	70.7
1967	56.5	70.9
1966	56.2	70.9
1965	55.9	70.1
1964	55.8	70.3
1963	55.6	69.3
1962	55.4	69.2
1961	55.1	69.8
1960	54.9	69.2
1959	54.6	69.2
1958	54.4	68.7
1957	54.1	67.5
1956	53.9	67.3
1955	53.7	67.8
1954	53.5	67.5
1953	53.3	66.3
1952	53.1	65.7
1951	52.9	65.3
1950	52.7	65.9

Data sources: United Nations | World Population Prospects (1950–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10).

GeoRank.org/facts/palau/vatican | CC BY

Palau and Vatican population clocks and comparison

1x

Year	Population
2024	17,695	-
2023	17,727	-
2022	17,759	-
2021	17,783	-
2020	17,792	-
2019	17,798	1,000
2018	17,814	-
2017	17,812	1,000
2016	17,797	-
2015	17,770	1,000
2014	17,715	842
2013	17,648	839
2012	17,765	836
2011	18,078	832
2010	18,396	829
2009	18,709	826
2008	19,009	824
2007	19,302	821
2006	19,593	932
2005	19,819	921
2004	19,820	921
2003	19,659	911
2002	19,503	900
2001	19,352	890
2000	19,178	880
1999	18,901	-
1998	18,524	-
1997	18,108	-
1996	17,654	-
1995	17,195	-
1994	16,770	-
1993	16,372	-
1992	15,989	-
1991	15,614	-
1990	15,259	-
1989	14,945	-
1988	14,645	-
1987	14,334	-
1986	14,024	-
1985	13,688	-
1984	13,337	-
1983	13,006	-
1982	12,694	-
1981	12,402	-
1980	12,271	-
1979	12,337	-
1978	12,440	-
1977	12,525	-
1976	12,598	-
1975	12,655	-
1974	12,687	-
1973	12,552	-
1972	12,194	-
1971	11,759	-
1970	11,368	-
1969	11,159	-
1968	11,080	-
1967	10,988	-
1966	10,805	-
1965	10,547	-
1964	10,292	-
1963	10,037	-
1962	9,793	-
1961	9,555	-
1960	9,328	-

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).

GeoRank.org/facts/palau/vatican | CC BY

Interactive Maps

Use the buttons below to switch between world maps comparing statistics for Palau and the Vatican.

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Finance

	Palau	Vatican
GNI, Atlas method	$262M 2023	n/a
Government expenditure, % of GDP	52.3% 2024	n/a
Education expenditure, % of GDP	3.53% 2023	n/a
Deficit/surplus, % of GDP	+1.67% 2024	n/a
Unemployment rate	2.09% 2023	n/a
Services, % of GDP	74.8% 2023	n/a
Industry, % of GDP	10.1% 2023	n/a
Economic freedom index	62 2025	65 2025
Personal remittances received	$1.95M 2024	n/a
International tourist arrivals	18,399 2020	n/a
International tourism as share of exports	93.5% 2017	n/a

Energy

	Palau	Vatican
Energy use, kg of oil equivalent per capita	4,814 kg 1990	n/a
GDP PPP per kg equivalent of energy use	$2 1990	n/a
Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions	1.47 megatons 2024	n/a
CO2 emissions per capita	82.8 tons 2024	n/a
Fossil fuel energy use share	0% 1990	n/a
Renewable energy use share	0.9% 2022	n/a
Renewable electricity output share	4.6% 2021	n/a
Hydroelectric share	0% 2021	n/a
Nuclear share	0% 2021	n/a
Electricity access	100% 2023	n/a

Society

	Palau	Vatican
% of world population	0.0002% 2024	0.00001% 2024
Annual migration change	-16 2025	n/a
Urban population	79.2% 2024	n/a
Male:Female ratio	53.9:46.1 2024	n/a
Average male height	5.6 ft 2025	n/a
Average female height	5.23 ft 2025	n/a
Quality of life index	52.2 2026	78.4 2026
Corruption Perceptions Index	49 2025	60 2025
Higher education index	n/a	34 2026
Homicides per 100K people	11.2 2018	0 2023
Road traffic mortality per 100K people	4.78 2013	0.5 2025
Visa free countries	120 2025	149 2025
Adult literacy rate	100% 2020	100% 2013
English speaking	92.5% 2023	20% 2025
People using the Internet	27% 2004	n/a

Health

	Palau	Vatican
Government health expenditure per capita	$1,684 2023	n/a
Out-of-pocket health expenditure per capita	$203.8 2023	n/a
Life expectancy	69.6 years 2026	83.4 years 2026
Foreign aid share of health expenditure	18.5% 2023	n/a
Physicians per 1,000 people	1.81 2023	n/a
Maternal mortality per 100K births	89 2023	n/a
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age	22.3 2023	n/a
Obesity rate	42.1% 2022	n/a
Diabetes prevalence	19.3% 2024	n/a
Air quality index	65 2026	72 2026
Tobacco use prevalence	17.3% 2022	n/a

Territory

	Palau	Vatican
% of world land	0.0003% 2026	0.0000003% 2026
Land area per capita	10,037 sq mi 2024	169.9 sq mi 2019
Agricultural land area	16.6 sq mi 2026	n/a
Forest area	160.8 sq mi 2026	n/a
Roads length	n/a	5.59 mi 2003