Local Demographics in Ubud (2026)

Ubud's official registered population (74,800) vastly understates the working expat and nomad presence; realistic long-term foreign resident estimate is a meaningful subset of Bali's ~100,000 expatriates, though exact Ubud-district figures remain undercounted in official data.
The expat community is highly transient and visa-dependent; many are on tourist visas (typically 30–60 days) and regularly 'visa run' or stay on unofficial extensions, making census-based figures structurally unreliable.
Russian, Australian, American, and Northern European digital nomads dominate coworking spaces and expat social networks; local Balinese remain the overwhelming local majority but are vastly outnumbered by tourists and long-stayers in the town center.
Ubud has evolved from arts-and-yoga hub (1990s–2010s) to hybrid nomad/tech startup destination (2020s); tech entrepreneurs and sustainability-focused founders now compete for coworking and accommodation alongside traditional wellness practitioners.
Locals express concern about expat and tourist encroachment: expats and long-stayers often earn Western salaries while spending in Indonesian Rupiah, and there is friction over cultural commodification and resource strain.

Occupational Profile: Artists, retirees, digital nomads, wellness practitioners, yoga instructors, entrepreneurs, tech startup founders, and sustainability-focused business builders

Visa Developments: Indonesia introduced a 'second home' visa valid up to five years in 2024, formalized appeal to long-term remote workers. Bali issued 70,000 foreign resident visas in 2022, bringing island-wide long-staying non-local population to over 100,000.
Tech Startup Scene: Bali-wide startup ecosystem with Ubud and Canggu as primary hubs; sustainable tech startups, impact-focused ventures, and innovation centers (e.g., Kopernik research lab in Ubud) concentrated in the area. Shift toward tech entrepreneurship alongside traditional digital nomad community.
Nomad Infrastructure: Multiple coworking spaces (Outpost, Hubud, The Onion Collective); nomad meetups and remote-work cafes ubiquitous; villages Penestanan and Nyuh Kuning are common nomad residential zones

Note: During high tourist season (June–August, December–January), Ubud population can increase by up to 50% with extended tourist stays, straining infrastructure

Minorities: Small communities of Javanese and Chinese descent; growing influx of internal Indonesian migrants from Java attracted by tourism-related employment
Balinese Hindu Majority: Over 86% of provincial population; proportion likely higher in Ubud given its status as cultural and spiritual hub

Basis: Bali-wide estimate of approximately 100,000 expatriates, with Ubud attracting a significant subset focused on creative, wellness, and entrepreneurial pursuits. Ubud functions as a major nomad hub with coworking spaces and nomad infrastructure on multiple streets.
Description: Unregistered digital nomads, long-stayers on tourist visas, and residents not appearing in official census data
Notable Note: Exact district-level figures unavailable due to transient residency patterns and visa overstay; estimates derived from expat-community sourcing, coworking-space surveys, relocation reporting, and digital-nomad platform data

AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026

These are the sources cited in this local demographics research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.

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Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.