Indonesia's Bali named world's second most crowded island as overtourism gripes rise
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Measuring 5,780 sq km (2,230 square miles) in size, Bali is home to 731 people per sq km, excluding tourists, according to national newspaper Kompas citing data from online market researcher Visual Capitalist.
More than 60,000 daily visitors arrive on the island with a population of 4.2 million on average. Last year, Indonesia's most visited island welcomed over 6.3 million foreigners.
Bali was also named the world's most beautiful island in 2025 in a study by travel agency Travelbag, Tempo news magazine reported.
While this popularity is a boon for businesses – over half of Bali's economy relies on tourists, according to The Jakarta Post newspaper – it is proving a bane for locals, who feel that their quality of life is being adversely affected by
overtourism
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Denpasar native Wahyuni said he felt suffocated in his hometown. 'The population density in Bali is a big challenge for me as a villager wanting to feel comfortable in my own environment,' the 41-year-old said on Friday, as quoted by Kompas.
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