The latest market, economy, central-bank, policy and company stories from Palau, updated every 15 minutes. Last updated 19 October 2026.
| GDP growth (2025) | 6.3% | Fast growth. |
| Inflation (2025) | -0.4% | Prices are falling (deflation). |
| GDP per person (2025) | $19,532 | Average output per person: a rough measure of how wealthy a country is. |
| Current account (2023) | -48.6% of GDP | Deficit: spends more abroad than it earns, so it relies on foreign money. |
| Exports (2024) | 32.7% of GDP | An open, trading economy. |
Latest official annual figures from World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). Context, not a forecast or financial advice.
By Eoghan Olkeriil Ngirudelsang NGERULMUD, Palau — “Although this bill is not perfect, let’s not deviate from its intent and the need to find additional funding for Palau housing,” Sen. Tabelual said Tuesday, as lawmakers debated a proposal to dedicate 2% of unrestricted local government revenue to housing programs.
By: Gustavo Pessoa A business that keeps records to pay tax is also building evidence that may help a lender understand it. The connection is imperfect, but it offers Palau a practical way to improve business finance: make reliable local records easier to use in a credit assessment, with the borrower in control of…
Speaker Miozawa is acting governor By: Eoghan Olkeriil Ngirudelsang Ngardmau, Palau — The Palau Election Commission (PEC) has scheduled a special gubernatorial election for Ngardmau State on Nov. 13, moving forward with a second impeachment-driven contest after a court order nullified the first.
By Eoghan Olkeriil Ngirudelsang KOROR, Palau — The field of candidates is set for two upcoming state general elections in Palau, with Angaur State featuring a rematch of former contenders and Ngatpang State seeing a single candidate run unopposed. In Angaur State, voters will choose between incumbent Gov. Kennosuke A.
Twin Senate bills aim to cut the PGST tax in half and remove extra taxes on groceries, power, and phone bills. By: L.N. Reklai KOROR, Palau (Oct. 12, 2026) — Lawmakers in Palau are working on two new bills to help families save money on daily living costs as prices for groceries and basic services
By: L.N. Reklai KOROR, Palau (Oct. 2, 2026) — A delegation of representatives from prominent Guam-based businesses recently concluded a visit to Palau aimed at identifying strategic investment and expansion opportunities, reflecting a growing push for stronger economic ties across the region.
NADI, 07 OCTOBER 2026 (SPREP)— Ms Nei Tikaeita comes from the bustling village of Rawannawi on the island of Marakei in Kiribati. For more than sixty years, she has walked the coastlines of Rawannawi.
The Bougainville Tax Office (BTO) of the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) recently attended the 2026 Pacific Islands Tax Administrators Association (PITAA) Annual Heads Meeting. Held in Koror, Palau, the week-long regional summit was staged from Monday, 21st September to Friday, 25th September 2026.
Dear Editor, President Whipps has repeatedly claimed that only tourists pay the Palau Government Stress Tax (PGST). But walk into any store, fill your car with fuel, or pay your electricity bill, and you will see the truth: Palauans are paying this tax every single day. If PGST is built into the price of goods
By: Eoghan Olkeriil Ngirudelsang NGERULMUD, Palau (Oct. 1, 2026)— “I believe we have to look carefully again at the budget process so that we don’t always hustle in the last hour to push for a continuing budget just so that the government will not shut down,” Sen.
By: Summer Kennard KOROR, Palau (October 1, 2026) — “Without the international market and trade, the value of our clam industry will plummet,” a Palau giant clam farmer said, underscoring the economic stakes as the government works to finalize legislation formally establishing Palau’s legal framework for the…
SAIPAN, 01 OCTOBER 2026 (PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES)—The Northern Mariana Islands government suspended operations today, with an undetermined number of employees furloughed, after Governor David Apatang declared a shutdown due to the lack of an approved budget for the new fiscal year.
By Eoghan Olkeriil Ngirudelsang NGERULMUD, Palau (Sept. 28, 2026) — With the end of the fiscal year just two days away, the House of Delegates and Senate are trading competing budget provisions through amendments and bill riders as they remain divided over how to keep the government funded while work on the FY2027…