Palau
Last updated August 4, 2026
Composite GEFRI Score
Access & Parity is strongest, while Governance remains a constraint
Palau shows progressing readiness to meet the challenges and opportunities of education in a rapidly changing world (76th percentile worldwide). Reforms are translating into broader capability, though uneven performance continues to slow system-wide alignment.
- Global percentile
- 76th
- Global rank
- Not ranked (microstate)
- Regional rank
- Not ranked (microstate)
- Viewing data for
Country profile
Palau shows progressing readiness, with important strengths but continued gaps across the system. Most dimension scores sit close to global norms, without a single dimension standing far above the rest.
Uneven scores across dimensions show where readiness conditions are less aligned. Strong tertiary enrollment expands future talent pipelines and strengthens national innovation potential.
Strong R&D funding and a sizable research workforce keep the innovation pipeline active, supporting the system’s capacity to adapt. Gender parity across secondary pathways reflects sustained commitment to equitable participation.
Regionally, Palau leads most clearly in School Access and Gender Parity, sitting well above the peer average.
Some indicators are imputed, so the profile should be read with moderate caution.
Key insights
Sits above the global median at the 76th percentile.
Scores range from Access & Parity (83.7) to Governance (61.6), reflecting variation across dimensions.
Leads regional peers most clearly in Access & Parity.
Regional peers: East Asia & Pacific
Composite GEFRI Score
| Global rank | Regional rank | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 1 | Singapore | 87.75 |
| 8 | 2 | Korea, Rep. | 87.61 |
| 9 | 3 | Australia | 87.58 |
| 12 | 4 | Japan | 86.42 |
| 14 | 5 | New Zealand | 86.25 |
| 16 | 6 | Hong Kong SAR, China | 85.13 |
| — | — | PalauMicrostate | 73.62 |
| — | — | NauruMicrostate | 72.35 |
| 51 | 7 | Thailand | 71.65 |
| 52 | 8 | Brunei Darussalam | 71.24 |
| — | — | GuamMicrostate | 70.43 |
| 56 | 9 | China | 70.26 |
| — | — | New CaledoniaMicrostate | 69.53 |
| — | — | American SamoaMicrostate | 69.29 |
| 59 | 10 | Malaysia | 69.27 |
| — | — | Northern Mariana IslandsMicrostate | 69.27 |
| 65 | 11 | Macao SAR, China | 68.91 |
| 66 | 12 | Fiji | 68.84 |
| 70 | 13 | Mongolia | 68.44 |
| — | — | French PolynesiaMicrostate | 67.53 |
| 74 | 14 | Indonesia | 67.24 |
| 75 | 15 | Viet Nam | 67.00 |
| — | — | TongaMicrostate | 62.06 |
| — | — | SamoaMicrostate | 61.69 |
| 91 | 16 | Philippines | 60.80 |
| — | — | TuvaluFCSMicrostate | 59.38 |
| — | — | Marshall IslandsFCSMicrostate | 56.13 |
| 109 | 17 | Vanuatu | 54.76 |
| — | — | KiribatiFCSMicrostate | 49.99 |
| 118 | 18 | Timor-LesteFCS | 47.72 |
| — | — | Micronesia, Fed. Sts.FCSMicrostate | 47.06 |
| 124 | 19 | Cambodia | 44.53 |
| 125 | 20 | Korea, Dem. People's Rep. | 44.29 |
| 135 | 21 | Solomon IslandsFCS | 40.40 |
| 142 | 22 | MyanmarFCS | 37.14 |
| 143 | 23 | Lao PDR | 36.90 |
| 156 | 24 | Papua New GuineaFCS | 31.85 |