Digital nomad statistics 2026

How many digital nomads are there?

18.5 million in the US alone. That's 2.2% more than in 2024, 153% more than in 2019, and about 12% of the US workforce (MBO Partners).

Employers drove the growth. Nomads with a regular job rose 10% in 2025, while self-employed nomads fell 7%, mostly because fewer Baby Boomers travel for work.

Millions more want in. 65 million Americans say they will or may become digital nomads in the next 2 to 3 years, but MBO's past studies show only 6% to 8% of them do.

Who are digital nomads?

Mostly young. 75% of American digital nomads are Gen Z or Millennials (MBO Partners).

75% of digital nomads are Gen Z or Millennials (%)

1Millennials

40%

2Gen Z

35%

3Gen X

19%

4Baby Boomers

6%

MBO Partners, 2025 Digital Nomads Trends Report · American digital nomads, 2025

Baby Boomers fell from 11% of nomads in 2024 to 6% in 2025, and Gen X from 25% to 19%.

89% of digital nomads use AI in their work (MBO Partners)

88% call themselves advanced or intermediate AI users, and 83% say they're early adopters of new technology.

49% of digital nomads earn money in the creator economy (MBO Partners)

85% say their work depends on digital tools and a good connection.

54% of digital nomads hold a college degree (MBO Partners)

That compares with 35% of adult Americans. 19% hold an advanced degree, against 13% of all adults.

56% of digital nomads are men (MBO Partners)

43% are women and 1% nonbinary, a split that has held since MBO started counting in 2018. 54% are married or live with a partner.

How do digital nomads travel?

More slowly than before. They visited fewer places in 2025, and stayed longer in each one (MBO Partners).

Find cities that fit your budget, weather and time zone with my free best cities for digital nomads tool.

Are digital nomads happy?

Very. 82% of digital nomads are highly satisfied with their work, and 12% satisfied. Only 3% aren't (MBO Partners).

93% say they'll keep going: 58% definitely and 35% maybe. But only 11% have been nomads for more than five years.

The hardest parts of life as a digital nomad (%)

1Being away from family and friends

26%

2Financial stress

26%

3Personal safety

25%

4Travel burnout

23%

5Working across time zones

21%

MBO Partners, 2025 Digital Nomads Trends Report · American digital nomads, 2025

Time zones you can plan around. My free time zone overlap calculator finds the hours you share with your team.

Do employers let people work from anywhere?

Rarely on paper. Only 28% of employees whose job could be done remotely can work fully remote, and 51% are hybrid, in the office 2.3 days a week (MBO Partners).

So many nomads travel quietly. 13% of nomads with a regular job say their employer doesn't know, and 18% have their boss's permission but no company policy: nearly a third in all.

How many countries offer a digital nomad visa?

{{dn\_open}}, as of {{dn\_checked}}. Another {{dn\_announced}} have been announced, and {{dn\_closed}} have closed (government visa pages).

Digital nomad visas by region

1Europe

19

2Asia and the Middle East

10

3Caribbean

8

4Latin America

8

5Africa

6

government visa pages, via the Digital nomad visa finder · 51 open visas, checked September 29, 2026

Europe has the most. I read every visa's rules from its government's own page, so each one links to where the rule is written.

How much do you need to earn for a digital nomad visa?

{{dn\_median\_usd}} a month is the median, across the {{dn\_with\_amount}} visas that set an amount (government visa pages).

Income a digital nomad visa asks for, per month

1Under $2,000

4 visas

2$2,000 to $2,999

6 visas

3$3,000 to $4,999

20 visas

4$5,000 or more

6 visas

government visa pages, via the Digital nomad visa finder · 36 visas with a set amount

Most ask for $3,000 to $4,999 a month. The other {{dn\_no\_amount}} set no fixed amount, and my visa finder shows each one's rule.

The digital nomad visas that ask for the least income

Ecuador

Visa

Temporary residence visa for remote work (nomad visa)

Income a month

$1,446

First stay

24 months

Brazil

Visa

Digital nomad visa (VITEM XIV)

Income a month

$1,500

First stay

12 months

Mauritius

Visa

Premium Visa

Income a month

$1,500

First stay

12 months

Colombia

Visa

Visitor visa (V) for digital nomads

Income a month

$1,568

First stay

24 months

Sri Lanka

Visa

Digital Nomad Visa

Income a month

$2,000

First stay

12 months

Malaysia

Visa

DE Rantau Nomad Pass

Income a month

$2,000

First stay

12 months

Namibia

Visa

Digital Nomad Visa

Income a month

$2,000

First stay

6 months

Italy

Visa

Digital nomad and remote worker visa

Income a month

$2,346

First stay

12 months

Country	Visa	Income a month	First stay
Ecuador	Temporary residence visa for remote work (nomad visa)	$1,446	24 months
Brazil	Digital nomad visa (VITEM XIV)	$1,500	12 months
Mauritius	Premium Visa	$1,500	12 months
Colombia	Visitor visa (V) for digital nomads	$1,568	24 months
Sri Lanka	Digital Nomad Visa	$2,000	12 months
Malaysia	DE Rantau Nomad Pass	$2,000	12 months
Namibia	Digital Nomad Visa	$2,000	6 months
Italy	Digital nomad and remote worker visa	$2,346	12 months

Amounts in other currencies are in US dollars at the European Central Bank's rates on {{dn\_fx\_date}}.

At the top, {{dn\_high1\_country}}'s {{dn\_high1\_name}} asks for {{dn\_high1\_usd}} a month. See which visas your income qualifies for with my free digital nomad visa finder.

How long does a digital nomad visa last?

A year, most often. {{dn\_m12}} of the {{dn\_with\_months}} visas with a set length give you 9 to 12 months at first (government visa pages).

How long a digital nomad visa lets you stay at first

16 months or less

9

29 to 12 months

28

318 to 24 months

9

43 years or more

2

government visa pages, via the Digital nomad visa finder · 48 visas with a set length

{{dn\_insurance}} of the {{dn\_open}} visas also ask for health insurance, which my free nomad health insurance finder checks against each visa's rules.

How do countries tax digital nomads?

Most tax you on everything. {{tx\_worldwide}} of {{tx\_countries}} countries tax a resident on income from anywhere in the world (government tax pages).

How 236 countries tax a resident's income

1Worldwide income

154

2Only income earned in the country

48

3No personal income tax

20

4Foreign income only when brought in

11

5Taxes its citizens wherever they live

3

government tax pages, via the Territorial tax map · 236 countries, checked September 27, 2026

{{tx\_territorial}} countries tax only income earned inside them, and {{tx\_none}} have no personal income tax. The US is one of the {{tx\_citizens\_word}} that taxes its citizens wherever they live (IRS).

Where you owe tax depends on where you're a tax resident, not on your visa. For the details, see how countries tax residents, my free tax rates by country and the tax breaks for new residents.

How safe is the world for travelers?

Mostly safe. {{adv\_l1}} of the {{adv\_rated}} countries the US State Department rates are at Level 1, exercise normal precautions, and {{adv\_l2}} at Level 2, exercise increased caution (US State Department).

US travel advisory levels, by number of countries

1Level 1: exercise normal precautions

81

2Level 2: exercise increased caution

80

3Level 3: reconsider travel

28

4Level 4: do not travel

23

US State Department, Travel Advisories · 212 countries, read September 29, 2026

{{adv\_l4}} countries are at Level 4, do not travel. My free travel advisory map shows the US and UK advice for every country side by side, updated every day.

How fast is the internet in digital nomad visa countries?

Faster than most of the world. The median download speed in the {{in\_visa\_n}} visa countries with enough tests was {{in\_visa\_med}} Mbps from {{in\_from}} to {{in\_to}}, against {{in\_world\_med}} Mbps across all {{in\_countries}} countries (M-Lab).

The fastest internet in digital nomad visa countries (Mbps)

1Malta

147.4 Mbps

2Cayman Islands

106.4 Mbps

3Bahamas

99.4 Mbps

4South Korea

94 Mbps

5Andorra

91.3 Mbps

6Uruguay

89.6 Mbps

7Barbados

85.5 Mbps

8Slovenia

82.6 Mbps

M-Lab · 325 million speed tests, June 30, 2026 to September 27, 2026

The slowest is {{in\_slow1\_country}}, at a median of {{in\_slow1\_down}} Mbps, then {{in\_slow2\_country}} at {{in\_slow2\_down}} Mbps.

M-Lab's test uses one connection, so it reads lower than tests like Speedtest that open several. It's made for comparing places. Check your own connection with my free internet speed test.

What does mobile data cost abroad?

About {{es\_per\_day}} a day for unlimited data. That's the median across {{es\_unlimited}} unlimited eSIM plans from {{es\_providers}} providers in {{es\_countries}} countries (eSIM providers' prices).

The cheapest countries for unlimited eSIM data

Country	Unlimited data, median a day
Thailand	$2.05
Philippines	$2.12
United Kingdom	$2.20
Cyprus	$2.21
South Korea	$2.21

{{es\_pricey1\_country}} costs the most, at {{es\_pricey1\_usd}} a day. Compare each store's cheapest plan for your trip with my free eSIM finder.

How many people live abroad?

304 million. That's how many people lived outside the country they were born in in 2024, 3.7% of everyone on Earth (United Nations).

Digital nomads are a small part of that number. If you're paid in one currency and spend in another, Wise lets you hold and convert money in several currencies.

How to use these numbers

Before you pick your next base:

• Check which visas your income qualifies for, and how long each one lets you stay
• Find out where you'll be a tax resident before you arrive, not after
• Plan for 6 weeks or more in each place, the way most nomads now travel
• Check the travel advice for the country, and buy health insurance your visa accepts
• Set up an eSIM before you land

Then choose the place that fits your work hours as well as your budget.

Key takeaways

Here's what the digital nomad statistics say:

• Nomads are mainstream – 18.5 million Americans work from anywhere, about 12% of the US workforce.
• They're young and use AI – 75% are Gen Z or Millennials, and 89% use AI in their work.
• Slow travel is winning – nomads stay 6.4 weeks in each place, up from 5.7.
• 51 countries want them – the median digital nomad visa asks for $3,453 a month.
• Your tax follows your residence – 154 of 236 countries tax residents on worldwide income, and 48 tax only local income.
• The internet is fast where the visas are – a median 44.1 Mbps in nomad visa countries, against 35.2 worldwide.
• Staying connected is cheap – unlimited eSIM data costs a median $2.85 a day.

The world has made room for people who work from anywhere. For more, see how countries tax residents, and plan your move with my free digital nomad visa finder.