Bali Investors Still Favor the South as Northern Regions Seek Growth
More than 90% of Bali’s investors still choose the south, while officials and Bank Indonesia are urging better connectivity and new economic sectors in the north.
By Pandi Muktar
Editor: Mursyid Sonsang
· 2 min read
Singaraja — More than 90% of Bali’s investors still choose southern Bali, according to a report published on Nov. 6, 2026. The concentration leaves northern Bali behind and has renewed calls for investment, connectivity and development in the island’s north.
The figures were discussed after a Focus Group Discussion on strengthening Bali’s sources of economic growth, held at the Buleleng regent’s official residence on Nov. 5. Achris Sarwani, the Bank Indonesia representative for Bali, said southern Bali contributes about 58% of the island’s economic growth, while northern Bali’s contribution remains lower.
Reports said the southern concentration covers the Sarbagita area — Denpasar, Badung, Gianyar and Tabanan — and that northern Bali needs stronger local economic sectors, including production, small and medium-sized businesses, food commodities and processing industries.
Northern Bali needs stronger links to reach investors
For businesses and foreign residents assessing Bali, the figures describe an uneven economic geography rather than a new rule governing foreign investment. Southern Bali remains the island’s main investment and tourism center; northern Bali is being presented as a potential source of new growth.
The proposed response is practical: improve north-south connectivity, widen access to investment, develop sustainable tourism in northern Bali and increase the value of marine, fisheries and agricultural products through downstream processing. Local officials also identified infrastructure, spatial planning and workforce quality as conditions for Buleleng’s economic development.
Those figures illustrate the concentration but use different geographic definitions from the broader “more than 90%” investor figure.
The discussions point toward efforts to make northern Bali more attractive to investors, but the reports do not announce a new investment deadline, restriction or implementation date.
Sources
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