Demographics of Palau facts for kids

Palau is a beautiful island nation in the Pacific Ocean. This article will help you learn about the people who live there. We will explore how many people live in Palau, where they come from, what languages they speak, and what their daily lives are like. Most of Palau's population, about 70%, lives in the city of Koror on Koror Island. Koror used to be the capital city. Today, the capital is Ngerulmud, located in Melekeok State. This new capital is on Babeldaob, a much larger island. Babeldaob is the second-largest island in Micronesia, after Guam.

Understanding Palau's People

Learning about a country's people helps us understand its culture and future. We can look at things like how many people are born, how many pass away, and how old people are.

How Many People Live in Palau?

In 2020, about 21,685 people lived in Palau. The population changes over time. For example, in 1990, there were about 15,122 people. By 2000, it grew to 19,129. The number of births and deaths affects how much the population grows or shrinks each year. Palau's population has a growth rate of about 0.39% per year. This means the number of people is slowly increasing.

Who Lives in Palau?

The people of Palau come from different backgrounds and belong to various age groups.

Age Groups

The population of Palau is made up of people of all ages. Here's a look at the different age groups (based on 2020 estimates):

• Young people (0–14 years): About 18.68% of the population are children and young teens.
• Young adults (15–24 years): About 15.86% are young adults, often students or starting their careers.
• Adults (25–54 years): This is the largest group, making up about 45.33% of the population. Many people in this group are working.
• Older adults (55–64 years): About 10.68% of the population are in this age range.
• Seniors (65 years and over): About 9.45% of the population are seniors.

There are also more males than females in some age groups, especially among adults aged 25-54. Overall, for every 100 females, there are about 107 males in Palau.

Different Backgrounds

Most people in Palau are Palauan. They are part of the Micronesian group, with some Malayan and Melanesian heritage.

• Palauan: 73% of the population.
• Asian: 21.7% of the population. This group includes people from countries like the Philippines and China.
• Carolinian: 2% of the population.
• White: 1.2% of the population.
• Other: 2.1% are from other backgrounds.

People who are from Palau are called Palauans.

Births, Deaths, and Life Expectancy

These numbers help us understand the health and well-being of a country's people.

How the Population Changes

In 2020, there were about 11.3 births for every 1,000 people. This is called the birth rate. The death rate was about 8.3 deaths for every 1,000 people. This means more people are born than pass away each year. The total fertility rate is about 1.7 children born per woman. This number shows how many children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime.

How Long Do People Live?

The average life expectancy in Palau is about 74.1 years. This means people in Palau generally live to be around 74 years old. Women tend to live a bit longer, with an average life expectancy of 77.5 years, while men live about 70.9 years. The infant mortality rate, which is the number of babies who pass away before their first birthday, is about 9.8 deaths for every 1,000 live births.

Beliefs and Languages

Palau is a place where people have different beliefs and speak many languages.

What People Believe

Many different religions are practiced in Palau.

• Roman Catholic: About 45.3% of people are Catholic.
• Protestant: About 34.9% are Protestant. This includes different types of Protestant churches, like the Seventh-day Adventists.
• Modekngei: About 5.7% follow Modekngei, which is a traditional religion unique to Palau.
• Islam: About 3% of people are Muslim.
• Mormon: About 1.5% are Mormon.
• Other religions or no religion make up the rest.

Speaking Up

Palau has several official languages, and people speak many different languages in their daily lives.

• Palauan: This is the main official language on most islands, spoken by 65.2% of the population.
• English: English is also an official language, spoken by 19.1% of the population.
• Filipino: Many people from the Philippines live in Palau, and 9.9% speak Filipino.
• Chinese: About 1.2% speak Chinese.
• Other Micronesian languages and other languages are also spoken.

Education in Palau

Education is very important in Palau. Most people aged 15 and over can read and write. This is called literacy.

• Total population: 96.6% of people can read and write.
• Males: 96.8% of males are literate.
• Females: 96.3% of females are literate.

These high numbers show that education is widely available and valued in Palau.

See also

In Spanish: Demografía de Palaos para niños