People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Palau
Palau: People in rural areas not using an improved water source was 27.5 people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Palau, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
Palau recorded 27.5 people for people in rural areas not using an improved water source in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.6% on the previous year and down 36.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Palau peaked at 78.93 people in 2001 and was at its lowest, 27.5 people, in 2024.
That places Palau 135th out of 178 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Palau, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 78.82 people | — |
| 2001 | 78.93 people | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 78.91 people | -0.0% |
| 2003 | 78.89 people | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 76.21 people | -3.4% |
| 2005 | 72.98 people | -4.2% |
| 2006 | 69.05 people | -5.4% |
| 2007 | 65.07 people | -5.8% |
| 2008 | 61.26 people | -5.9% |
| 2009 | 57.6 people | -6.0% |
| 2010 | 54.08 people | -6.1% |
| 2011 | 50.71 people | -6.2% |
| 2012 | 47.52 people | -6.3% |
| 2013 | 45 people | -5.3% |
| 2014 | 43.02 people | -4.4% |
| 2015 | 41.07 people | -4.5% |
| 2016 | 39.15 people | -4.7% |
| 2017 | 37.29 people | -4.7% |
| 2018 | 35.5 people | -4.8% |
| 2019 | 33.75 people | -4.9% |
| 2020 | 32.11 people | -4.9% |
| 2021 | 30.54 people | -4.9% |
| 2022 | 29.02 people | -5.0% |
| 2023 | 28.24 people | -2.7% |
| 2024 | 27.5 people | -2.6% |
Palau compared with similar countries
- Palau's 27.5 people is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 142,459 people, 0% of the median. (24 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 71.77 people | 57.6 people | 78.93 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 42.71 people | 33.75 people | 54.08 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.48 people | 27.5 people | 32.11 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Palau
- 132 Wallis and Futuna 80.75 people compare
- 133 Turks and Caicos Islands 80.18 people compare
- 134 Marshall Islands 57.78 people compare
- 136 Cook Islands 6.09 people compare
- 137 Tuvalu 3.29 people compare
- 138 Andorra 0 people
- 138 Armenia 0 people compare
- 138 Australia 0 people compare
- 138 Austria 0 people
- 138 Belgium 0 people
- 138 Bhutan 0 people compare
- 138 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0 people compare
- 138 Brazil 0 people compare
- 138 Costa Rica 0 people compare
- 138 Denmark 0 people
- 138 Estonia 0 people compare
- 138 Finland 0 people
- 138 France 0 people
- 138 Germany 0 people
- 138 Greece 0 people compare
- 138 Greenland 0 people
- 138 Hungary 0 people compare
- 138 Iceland 0 people
- 138 Israel 0 people
- 138 Luxembourg 0 people
- 138 Maldives 0 people compare
- 138 Malta 0 people
- 138 Netherlands 0 people
- 138 New Zealand 0 people
- 138 Norway 0 people
- 138 Palestine 0 people compare
- 138 Paraguay 0 people compare
- 138 Romania 0 people
- 138 Saint Lucia 0 people compare
- 138 San Marino 0 people
- 138 Slovakia 0 people
- 138 Spain 0 people
- 138 Switzerland 0 people
- 138 Syria 0 people compare
- 138 Thailand 0 people compare
- 138 Tokelau 0 people compare
- 138 Turkmenistan 0 people compare
- 138 United Arab Emirates 0 people compare
- 138 United Kingdom 0 people
- 138 United States 0 people compare
- 138 Uruguay 0 people compare
More environment data for Palau
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 14.18 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.167 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.05 °C (2025)
- Cropland — Area per capita 0.13 ha/cap (2024)
- Cropland — Share in Land area 5 % (2024)
- Arable land — Area 0.3 1000 ha (2024)
- Arable land — Share in Agricultural land 6.98 % (2024)
- Permanent crops — Area 2 1000 ha (2024)
- Permanent meadows and pastures — Share in Agricultural land 46.51 % (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Palau?
- People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Palau was 27.5 people in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest people in rural areas not using an improved water source recorded in Palau?
- The highest recorded value was 78.93 people in 2001.
- What is the lowest people in rural areas not using an improved water source recorded in Palau?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.5 people in 2024.
- How does Palau rank for people in rural areas not using an improved water source?
- Palau ranks 135th out of 178 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people in rural areas not using an improved water source rising or falling in Palau?
- Over the last ten years it is down 36.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Palau data come from?
- The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of People in rural areas not using an improved water source. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of people not using improved drinking water sources. These people might use surface water sources or unprotected springs or wells, as no safe and reliable improved drinking water source is available to them.