Palau: Merchandise imports (current US$)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Palau's merchandise imports (current US$) rose 17.4% on 2024 (from US$138 million to US$162 million).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +5.9% and a typical year strayed about 19.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 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 51.2% in 2000 and the biggest yearly fall was 30.8% in 2009. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains less than 1% 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 2025, Palau had the 201st highest value of the 204 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 2025 ranking

• Dominica — 198th of 204: US$259 million
• Tonga — 199th of 204: US$255 million
• São Tomé and Principe — 200th of 204: US$183 million
• Marshall Islands — 202nd of 204: US$111 million
• Naoero — 203rd of 204: US$67 million
• Tuvalu — 204th of 204: US$27 million

What this measures

Merchandise imports includes goods whose economic ownership is changed from a non-resident to a resident and that are not included in the following specific categories: goods under merchanting, non-monetary gold, and parts of travel, construction, and government goods and services n.i.e. 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: The value of imports is generally recorded as the cost of the goods when purchased by the importer plus the cost of transport and insurance to the frontier of the importing country - the cost, insurance, and freight (c.i.f.) value, corresponding to the landed cost at the point of entry of foreign goods into the country. A few countries collect import data on a free on board (f.o.b.) basis and adjust them for freight and insurance costs. Countries may report trade according to the general or special system of trade. Under the general system imports include goods imported for domestic consumption and imports into bonded warehouses and free trade zones.

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

All 32 values

Merchandise imports (current US$) in nearby economies

• American Samoa — US$678 million (2025)
• Australia — US$310.63 billion (2025)
• Brunei Darussalam — US$6.04 billion (2025)
• Cambodia — US$33.89 billion (2025)
• China — US$2.58 trillion (2025)
• Fiji — US$3.25 billion (2025)
• French Polynesia — US$2.45 billion (2025)
• Guam — US$937 million (2025)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — US$831.83 billion (2025)
• Indonesia — US$241.86 billion (2025)
• Japan

More private sector & trade data for Palau

• Merchandise trade (% of GDP) — 47.83% (2025)
• Merchandise exports (current US$) — US$3 million (2025)
• International tourism, number of arrivals — 18,400 (2020)
• Import unit value index (2015 = 100) — 125.2 (2025)
• Export unit value index (2015 = 100) — 121.7 (2025)
• Merchandise imports from high-income economies (% of total merchandise imports) — 84.82% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside region (% of total merchandise imports) — 0.78% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East Asia & Pacific (% of total merchandise imports) — 14.4% (2023)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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Questions people ask

What is Palau's merchandise imports (current US$)?

US$162 million in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1994?

It is up 285.71% from US$42 million in 1994 (4.45% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$207 million in 2022 and the lowest US$42 million in 1994.

How does Palau rank?

201st highest of 204 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in merchandise imports (current US$) unusual for Palau?

In 2025, Palau's merchandise imports (current US$) rose 17.4% on 2024 (from US$138 million to US$162 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +5.9% and a typical year strayed about 19.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 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 TM.VAL.MRCH.CD.WT, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: World Trade Organization (WTO) 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.

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