Net migration in Palau
Palau: Net migration was -16 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Net migration in Palau, 1960–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
Analysis
In 2025, net migration in Palau stood at -16.
The figure is down 14.3% on the previous year and down 45.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, net migration in Palau peaked at 312 in 1996 and was at its lowest, -405, in 2011.
That places Palau 89th out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Net migration in Palau, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | -70 | — |
| 1961 | -65 | -7.1% |
| 1962 | -54 | -16.9% |
| 1963 | -41 | -24.1% |
| 1964 | -27 | -34.1% |
| 1965 | -16 | -40.7% |
| 1966 | -18 | +12.5% |
| 1967 | -150 | +733.3% |
| 1968 | -194 | +29.3% |
| 1969 | -209 | +7.7% |
| 1970 | 54 | -125.8% |
| 1971 | 156 | +188.9% |
| 1972 | 147 | -5.8% |
| 1973 | 22 | -85.0% |
| 1974 | -282 | -1381.8% |
| 1975 | -296 | +5.0% |
| 1976 | -296 | -0.0% |
| 1977 | -292 | -1.4% |
| 1978 | -285 | -2.4% |
| 1979 | -291 | +2.1% |
| 1980 | -179 | -38.5% |
| 1981 | 120 | -167.0% |
| 1982 | 132 | +10.0% |
| 1983 | 144 | +9.1% |
| 1984 | 157 | +9.0% |
| 1985 | 179 | +14.0% |
| 1986 | 135 | -24.6% |
| 1987 | 125 | -7.4% |
| 1988 | 126 | +0.8% |
| 1989 | 113 | -10.3% |
| 1990 | 156 | +38.1% |
| 1991 | 193 | +23.7% |
| 1992 | 193 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 193 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 211 | +9.3% |
| 1995 | 258 | +22.3% |
| 1996 | 312 | +20.9% |
| 1997 | 297 | -4.8% |
| 1998 | 280 | -5.7% |
| 1999 | 243 | -13.2% |
| 2000 | 120 | -50.6% |
| 2001 | 65 | -45.8% |
| 2002 | 67 | +3.1% |
| 2003 | 71 | +6.0% |
| 2004 | 79 | +11.3% |
| 2005 | -250 | -416.5% |
| 2006 | -365 | +46.0% |
| 2007 | -372 | +1.9% |
| 2008 | -378 | +1.6% |
| 2009 | -382 | +1.1% |
| 2010 | -392 | +2.6% |
| 2011 | -405 | +3.3% |
| 2012 | -387 | -4.4% |
| 2013 | -28 | -92.8% |
| 2014 | -7 | -75.0% |
| 2015 | -11 | +57.1% |
| 2016 | -35 | +218.2% |
| 2017 | -33 | -5.7% |
| 2018 | -35 | +6.1% |
| 2019 | -46 | +31.4% |
| 2020 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 2021 | -21 | — |
| 2022 | -20 | -4.8% |
| 2023 | -19 | -5.0% |
| 2024 | -14 | -26.3% |
| 2025 | -16 | +14.3% |
Palau compared with similar countries
- Palau's -16 is below the median for high income countries, which is 843. (85 countries reporting)
- Palau's -16 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is -462, 3% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Net migration in Palau changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | -1381.8% | 22 | -282 |
| 1967 | -733.3% | -18 | -150 |
| 2005 | -416.5% | 79 | -250 |
| 2016 | -218.2% | -11 | -35 |
| 1971 | +188.9% | 54 | 156 |
| 1981 | +167.0% | -179 | 120 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -84.4 | -209 | -16 | 10 |
| 1970s | -136.3 | -296 | 156 | 10 |
| 1980s | 105.2 | -179 | 179 | 10 |
| 1990s | 233.6 | 156 | 312 | 10 |
| 2000s | -134.5 | -382 | 120 | 10 |
| 2010s | -137.9 | -405 | -7 | 10 |
| 2020s | -15 | -21 | 0 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Palau
More financial sector data for Palau
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0018 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita 34.97 units per person (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, annual growth rate -0.0064 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0013 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita 25.53 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0018 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per capita 34.97 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, SDR, annual growth rate -0.0064 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is net migration in Palau?
- Net migration in Palau was -16 in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest net migration recorded in Palau?
- The highest recorded value was 312 in 1996.
- What is the lowest net migration recorded in Palau?
- The lowest recorded value was -405 in 2011.
- How does Palau rank for net migration?
- Palau ranks 89th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is net migration rising or falling in Palau?
- Over the last ten years it is down 45.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Palau data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Net migration. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Net migration is the net total of migrants during the period, that is, the number of immigrants minus the number of emigrants, including both citizens and noncitizens.