Palau Economy
Is Palau a wealthy country?
The economy is dominated by tourism, fishing, and subsistence agriculture. Government is a major employer of the work force relying on financial assistance from the US under the Compact of Free Association (Compact) with the US that took effect after the end of the UN trusteeship on 1 October 1994. The US provided Palau with roughly $700 million in aid for the first 15 years following commencement of the Compact in 1994 in return for unrestricted access to its land and waterways for strategic purposes. The population enjoys a per capita income roughly double that of the Philippines and much of Micronesia.
Business and leisure tourist arrivals reached a record 167,966 in 2015, a 14.4% increase over the previous year, but fell to 138,408 in 2016. Long-run prospects for tourism have been bolstered by the expansion of air travel in the Pacific, the rising prosperity of industrial East Asia, and the willingness of foreigners to finance infrastructure development. Proximity to Guam, the region's major destination for tourists from East Asia, and a regionally competitive tourist infrastructure enhance Palau's advantage as a destination.
Palau Economy Data
What is the GDP of Palau?
| Currency Name and Code | US Dollar (USD) |
| GDP - Gross Domestic Product (PPP) | $320,000,000 (USD) |
| GDP - note | GDP estimate includes US subsidy |
| GDP - official exchange rate | $261,000,000 (USD) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 4% |
| GDP Per Capita | $14,800.00 (USD) |
| GDP by Sector- agriculture | 3.2% |
| GDP by Sector- Industry | 20% |
| GDP by Sector- services | 76.8% |
| Inflation Rate | 2.7% |
| Labor Force | 9,777 |
| Labor Force By Occupation- agriculture | 20% |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.2% |
| Fiscal Year | 1 October - 30 September |
| Annual Budget | $114,800,000 (USD) |
| Budget Surplus or Deficit - percent of GDP | -2.4% |
| Taxes and other revenues - percent of GDP | 40.3% |
| Major Industries | tourism, craft items (from shell, wood, pearls), construction, garment making |
| Agriculture Products | coconuts, copra, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes |
| Exchange Rate per US Dollar | US dollar (USD) |