Palau: Imports of goods and services (current US$)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Palau's imports of goods and services (current US$) rose 5.6% on 2023 (from US$222.63 million to US$235.06 million).

Across the 18 yearly changes before that (2006 to 2023), the average change was +3% and a typical year strayed about 11.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 26.8% in 2022 and the biggest yearly fall was 18% in 2021. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 2% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Palau had the 34th highest value of the 33 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Palau in the 2024 ranking

• Vanuatu — 30th of 33: US$623.47 million
• Tonga — 31st of 33: US$392.9 million
• Kiribati — 32nd of 33: US$334.9 million

What this measures

Imports of goods includes change in the economic ownership of goods from non-residents to residents of the compiling economy, irrespective of physical movement of goods across national borders. Imports of services includes services provided by non-residents to residents. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.

Limitations: Because policymakers have tended to focus on fostering the growth of output, and because data on production are easier to collect than data on spending, many countries generate their primary estimate of GDP using the production approach. Moreover, many countries do not estimate all the components of national expenditures but instead derive some of the main aggregates indirectly using GDP (based on the production approach) as the control total. Data on exports and imports are compiled from customs reports and balance of payments data.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a gap-filled total.

All 20 values

Imports of goods and services (current US$) in nearby economies

• American Samoa — US$677 million (2022)
• Australia — US$407.49 billion (2025)
• Brunei Darussalam — US$7.82 billion (2025)
• Cambodia — US$34.58 billion (2025)
• China — US$3.29 trillion (2025)
• Fiji — US$3.85 billion (2024)
• French Polynesia — US$2.92 billion (2024)
• Guam — US$4.42 billion (2022)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — US$841.32 billion (2025)
• Indonesia

More economic policy & debt data for Palau

• GDP (current US$) — US$345 million (2025)
• GDP (current LCU) — 345 million (2025)
• GDP (constant 2015 US$) — US$275.84 million (2025)
• GDP (constant LCU) — 280 million (2025)
• GDP per capita (current US$) — US$19,532 (2025)
• GDP per capita (current LCU) — 19,532 (2025)
• GDP per capita (constant 2015 US$) — US$15,617 (2025)
• GDP per capita (constant LCU) — 15,852 (2025)
• GNI (current US$) — US$351.4 million (2025)
• GNI (current LCU) — 351.4 million (2025)
• GNI per capita (current LCU) — 19,895 (2025)
• GDP (annual % growth)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Palau's imports of goods and services (current US$)?

US$235.06 million in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2005?

It is up 62.24% from US$144.89 million in 2005 (2.58% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$235.06 million in 2024 and the lowest US$132.9 million in 2009.

How does Palau rank?

34th highest of 33 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in imports of goods and services (current US$) unusual for Palau?

In 2024, Palau's imports of goods and services (current US$) rose 5.6% on 2023 (from US$222.63 million to US$235.06 million). Across the 18 yearly changes before that (2006 to 2023), the average change was +3% and a typical year strayed about 11.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator NE.IMP.GNFS.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs); National Accounts data files, Central Banks; Staff estimates, World Bank (WB) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.