Official Language
Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia)
Updated July 2026 · Sources cited: en.wikipedia.org, eliteasia.co
Overall5/10Less English-friendly than about 80% of cities
Good to know
Good to Know
- Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia) is the sole official language; learning basic phrases greatly improves interactions with locals outside tourist areas
- English proficiency is higher among younger generation, hospitality staff, and in tourist-focused businesses, but varies in residential neighborhoods
- Indonesian is based on Malay and lacks complex grammar features like verb conjugations, making it relatively accessible for English speakers to learn
Official Languages
Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia)
- Status
- sole official national language
- Proficiency
- Over 97% of Indonesians fluent according to 2020 census
English Proficiency
- Status
- Additional language with growing presence
- Context
- English is increasingly used as a lingua franca in business and among younger generations, though proficiency varies significantly by region and socioeconomic background
Nomad Considerations
In tourist destinations and areas frequented by digital nomads, English speakers are more common among service industry staff, though Indonesian language skills are valuable for daily interactions outside tourist zones
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this language & english friendliness research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Labuan Bajo
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.