Palayan, officially the City of Palayan, is a 5th class component city and capital of the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 45,383 people, making it the least populated city in the Philippines. Palayan was created on June 19, 1965, by the Congress of the Philippines and is one of seven planned cities in the Philippines. The new provincial capitol, convention center, and sports center of Nueva Ecija are located in the city.