Republic of Palau
May 2024
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Republic of Palau Development Cooperation Factsheet [PDF 331 KB]
Estimated Australian ODA: 2024-25: $11.9m
Gross National Income Per Capita: USD13,420 (2022)
Population: 18,055 (2022)
| Australian ODA | 2022-23 Actual ($m)* | 2023-24 Budget Estimate ($m)** | 2024-25 Budget Estimate ($m)* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Country Programs | 0.1 | 1.9 | 2.1 |
| Regional | 10.5 | 2.7 | 9.7 |
| Global | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| Other Government Departments | 13.5 | - | _ |
| Total ODA to Palau | 24.3 | 4.8 | 11.9 |
*Due to rounding, discrepancies may occur between sums of the component items in totals
** Prior to its reinstatement as an ODA eligible country, assistance to Palau (2022-23 estimate: $4.0 million) was delivered through non-ODA funding.
Australia works in partnership with Palau to promote peace, prosperity and resilience across the region and help achieve Palau’s development objectives.
Our development cooperation program in Palau seeks to respond pragmatically to Palau’s priorities, including support tax reform, digitisation of the health and agricultural sector, tertiary education and training, aviation connectivity, cyber security, gender equality, removal of UXOs, community, media and sports projects.
Strategic direction
In 2024-25, Australia will continue to listen and consult with the Government of Palau to ensure the development program meets genuine needs.
Australia will continue to support Palauan students to study at institutions in Australia and the region through Australia Awards Scholarships.
Program highlights
- Through the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP), Australia is providing support to construct and operate a grid connected solar power facility, which will meet 20 per cent of Palau's energy needs and will reduce the Palauan Government's dependency on diesel generation (SDG7).
- Co-financed with Japan and the United States, and through the AIFFP, Australia is supporting construction of an undersea cable to Palau that will provide greater system redundancy (SDG9).
- Australia is partnering with Palau to expand connectivity in the Pacific with a new non-stop flight service between Brisbane, Australia and Koror, Palau. The Palau Paradise Express (PPE) commenced in May 2024 and is supported through the Australia-Pacific Partnerships for Aviation Program (P4A) (SDG10; SDG8).
- In partnership with Norwegian People's Aid, Australia is supporting on-going clearance and removal efforts of explosive remnants of war in Palau. This will mitigate harm to life and the environment and is expected to support land development and economic growth (SDG14).
- Australia supports Palau's tax reform efforts, specifically the introduction of GST. This is delivered through specialist tax advisers and access to Australian Tax Office support (SDG17).
