Languages spoken in Palau
Oceania · Capital: Ngerulmud · Population 16,733
In Palau, two languages have official status: Palauan and English. Palauan is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 74% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 12,382 people. The only other recorded language is English, at 8.6% of the population. In total, two languages are recorded in Palau, and their shares add up to 82.6% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 0.8 of them.
What languages are spoken in Palau?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palauan | 74% | Official | 12,382 |
| EnglishIndo-European | 8.6% | Official | 1,439 |
Percentages are the share of the population that speaks each language, including as a second language, so they add up to well over 100% in multilingual countries. Speaker counts are estimates derived from the percentage and the country's population, not counted figures.
What is the official language of Palau?
In Palau, two languages have official status: Palauan and English. Palauan is spoken by an estimated 74% of the population, or roughly 12,382 people, counting both first-language and additional speakers.
Official status comes from Unicode CLDR. It distinguishes languages that are official nationwide, those used as de facto official without being named in law, and those official only in particular regions or territories.
How many people speak Palauan in Palau?
An estimated 74% of Palau's 16,733 people speak Palauan, which works out at roughly 12,382 speakers. That figure is derived from the population and the reported share, and it counts second-language speakers, so it is an estimate rather than a census count.
Key facts about Palau
- Capital
- Ngerulmud
- Population
- 16,733
- Continent
- Oceania
- Area
- 459 km²
- Currency
- USD
- Languages recorded
- 2
- Land borders
- None
- ISO codes
- PW / PLW / 585
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Language shares, population, and official status: Unicode CLDR. Capital, area, borders, and currency: mledoze/countries (ODbL 1.0). Flag image: flagcdn.com. Speaker counts are estimates derived from population and reported share.