Denpasar (Indonesian pronunciation: [denˈpasar]; Balinese: ᬤᬾᬦ᭄ᬧᬲᬃ, Dénpasar) is the capital and the largest city of the province of Bali, Indonesia. Denpasar is the largest city in the Lesser Sunda Islands and the second largest city in Eastern Indonesia after Makassar. It is bordered by Badung Regency to its west and north, Gianyar Regency to its east, and the Indian Ocean and the Badung Strait to its south. The growth of the tourism industry on the island of Bali has pushed the city of Denpasar to become a center of business activities, and has positioned the city as an area with high per capita income and growth in Bali. The population of the city at the end of 2024 was 670,210.
Denpasar is the main gateway to the Bali island, the city is also a hub for other cities in the Lesser Sunda Islands.
With the rapid growth of the tourism industry in Bali, Denpasar has encouraged and promoted business activities and ventures, contributing to it having the highest growth rate in Bali Province. The population of Denpasar was 725,314 at the 2020 Census, down from 788,445 at the 2010 Census due to pandemic outflow; the official estimate as of the end of 2024 was 670,210. The Denpasar metropolitan area centred on Denpasar (called Sarbagita) had 2,187,198 residents in end 2024. The COVID-19 pandemic and travel related closures has further exacerbated the population loss.
Etymology
The name Denpasar – from the Balinese words "dén", meaning north, and "pasar", meaning market – indicates the city's origins as a market-town on the site of what is now Kumbasari Market (formerly "Peken Payuk"), in the northern part of the modern city.
History
Founder
The city of Denpasar was founded by I Gusti Ngurah Made Pemecutan who was a descendant of Puri Pemecutan of Badung. The name Denpasar emerged when the area which was previously known as the Badung region was led by two sub-kingdoms in Badung, namely Puri Pemecutan and Puri Jambe Ksatrya. According to the researcher of the history of Denpasar City who is also a professor of history at the Faculty of Letters, Udayana University, AA Bagus Wirawan, at that time there were two palaces which indicated the existence of two governments, namely Puri Alang Badung and Puri Pemecutan.
Colonial era
In the 18th and 19th centuries, Denpasar functioned as the capital of the Hindu Majapahit Kingdom of Badung, thus the city's former name being Badung. The royal palace was looted and razed during the Dutch intervention in 1906. A statue in Taman Puputan (Denpasar's central square) commemorates the 1906 Puputan, in which as many as a thousand Balinese, including the King and his court, committed mass suicide in front of invading Dutch troops, rather than surrender to them.
Tuban Airfield, now part of Denpasar International Airport, opened in 1931. It was seized by the Imperial Japanese forces in 1942 during World War II.
Independence era
In 1958, Denpasar became the seat of government for the province of Bali. It remained the administrative centre of both Badung Regency and the City of Denpasar.
Both Denpasar and Badung Regency have experienced rapid physical, economic, social, and cultural growth. Denpasar has become not only the seat of government, but also the centre of commerce, education, industry, and tourism.
With an average population growth of 4.05% per annum, accompanied by rapid development, came a variety of urban problems. It was later resolved that meeting the needs and demands of the burgeoning urban community would be best addressed by giving Denpasar administrative independence from Badung Regency.
An agreement was reached to raise the status of Denpasar to that of an autonomous city and on 15 January 1992, Act No. 1 of 1992 officially established the City of Denpasar. It was inaugurated by the Minister of Home Affairs on 27 February 1992.
On 16 November 2009, in a further administrative realignment, Regulation Number 67 shifted the capital of Badung Regency from Denpasar to Mangupura.
Geography
Denpasar is a coastal city with island and bays, islets, and peninsulas, located southern part of Bali Island, eastern part of Indian Ocean. The Lombok Strait separates Bali and Lombok.
Denpasar is located at an elevation of 4 m (13 ft) above sea level. While the total area of 125.98 km2 or 2.18% of the total area of Bali Province. From the use of land, 2,768 hectares of land are paddy, 10,001 hectares are dry land, while the remaining land area is 9 hectares.
Badung River divides Denpasar, after which the river empties into the Gulf of Benoa.
Climate
Denpasar, located just south of the equator, has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification: Aw) and is under the influence of the Australian monsoon system. Daytime temperatures typically range from 20 °C to 33 °C throughout the year. Between December and March, the West monsoon may bring heavy rain and high humidity, though days are generally sunny, with rain falling mainly at night and clearing quickly. From June to September, humidity is low, and evenings can be mild.
Demographics
Population
The city's population was counted as 788,445 in 2010, up from 533,252 in the previous decade. The official estimate as of end-2024 was 670,210.
Denpasar's population grew about 4% per year in the period from 2000 to 2010, Denpasar grew much faster from 2005 to 2010 than in the previous five years. The lingering effects of the 2002 Bali bombings had a major depressive effect on tourism, jobs, and immigration from other islands. If current trends had continued, Denpasar had been expected to easily surpass a million residents by the next census in 2020. The 2015 intercensal survey (SUPAS) claimed a population of 879,098 people for the city, but the 2020 Census demonstrated that the population had fallen to 725,314. There were some 7,098 more men than women in Denpasar in mid-2022.
In relation to being a tourist city, then Denpasar is also supported by several areas such as Kuta and Ubud. This area is often referred to as Sarbagi (Denpasar, Badung and Gianyar) or Sarbagita (Denpasar Badung, Gianyar and Tabanan) or simply Denpasar metropolitan area based on Presidential Regulation No. 45 of 2011. The following are the populations of several of these areas:
Ethnic groups
Bali Province is home to the Balinese and Bali Aga tribes ethnic, as is the case in this city. As the capital city of Bali province, Denpasar is inhabited by people from various ethnic groups and more than other regions in Bali. Based on data from Central Bureau of Statistics in 2010 Indonesian Population Census, as many as 516,708 people or 65.52% of the 788,589 people of the city of Denpasar are of the Balinese ethnic group. Denpasar residents from other ethnic, many come from the Javanese ethnic, and some others are Chinese, Sasak, Madura, Sunda, Flores, Malays, Bugis, Batak, and several other ethnic groups.
The following is the population of Denpasar city based on ethnicity in 2010:
Religion
The religions practiced by the people of Denpasar are very diverse with the majority being Hindu. The Balinese people are generally Hindu, with some are Muslims, Christians and Buddhists. Meanwhile, the Javanese, Malays, Bugis, Sundanese, Sasak people are generally Muslims with some Hindu, Buddhist and Christian. Some people from Flores, and the Batak are Christian. The Chinese are generally Buddhists and Confucians.
As of 2024 approximately 67.50% of the population are Hindus, while Muslims is the largest minority religion (22.50%), followed by Christians, Buddhists, and Confucianists.
Government and politics
The mayor of Denpasar is the highest officeholder in the Denpasar city government. Currently, the mayor serving in Denpasar City is I Gusti Ngurah Jaya Negara, with the vice mayor held by I Kadek Agus Arya Wibawa. They are candidate of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) which was won in the 2020 general election and again in 2024. They have served as mayor and vice mayor since 26 February 2021.
The Denpasar City Regional House of Representatives, the municipal legislature, has 45 members, with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle won the most of seats and currently ruling the city's government with his alliance.
Administrative divisions
Administratively, the city government consists of four districts (kecamatan), subdivided into 43 villages. Denpasar has developed numerous measures to improve public services.
Districts
Denpasar City comprises 4 districts (kecamatan), subdivided into 16 urban villages (kelurahan) and 27 rural villages (desa), for a total amount of 43 villages. In mid 2022, the population was officially estimated at 726,808 (comprising 366,953 males and 359,855 females) with its area being 125.98 km² and its density 5,769 people/km2.
List of districts and villages in Denpasar City as follows:
Denpasar is divided into four districts (kecamatan), listed below with their officially estimated 2022 populations:
- Denpasar Selatan (South Denpasar) 217,548
- Denpasar Timur (East Denpasar) 128,540
- Denpasar Barat (West Denpasar) 207,384
- Denpasar Utara (North Denpasar) 173,336
Greater Denpasar
Greater Denpasar spills out into the tourist regions, including Kuta and Ubud. The continuous built-up area includes nearly all of Badung Regency (except Petang District), most of Gianyar Regency (except for Payangan, Tegallalang, and Tampaksiring Districts), and part of Tabanan Regency (Kediri and Tabanan Districts only). It is known as Sarbagita, a clipped compound of Denpasar, Badung, Gianyar, and Tabanan, made official by Presidential Regulation Number 45 of 2011, despite Tabanan just beginning to succumb to urban sprawl. See also List of metropolitan areas in Indonesia.
Notes: (a) Kuta Selatan, Kuta, Kuta Utara, Mengwi and Abiansemal Districts. (b) Sukawati, Blahbatuh, Ubud and Gianyar Districts. (c) Kediri and Tabanan Districts.
Economy
The development of tourism and structural changes in the economy have had a strong impact on Denpasar. Trade, hotels, and restaurants dominate the city's gross regional domestic product.
Also boosting the economy of Denpasar is the production of craft items such as souvenir carvings and sculptures. The craft industry, however, is experiencing pressure due to the impact of the global financial crises and competition from other Asian developing countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, India, Malaysia, and China. These competitor countries maximize the scale of production by using industrial technology, while at Denpasar the craft industry remains focused on traditional skills and hand-made goods, limiting the quantity of production.
Surveys conducted by a team led by EcoVerde Global Consulting on the live bats trade in Bali showed an ongoing long-term trade of large fruit bats for traditional medicine in Denpasar. Hundreds of animals are being offered for sale with higher numbers per capita in economically less affluent areas
Architecture
Bali was once known for its mud walls and thatched gates but gated residential developments and shop houses now characterize urban Bali.
During the late 19th century, the built environment was being constructed based on the political situation of the city. This resulted in the residence of the ruling family becoming the centre of the city.
Market squares played an important role in the Badung kingdom, and it continued to do so when the colonial powers came to exert control over Bali. Over the 20th century, Denpasar faced the challenges of changing urban landscapes brought about by political changes. The developments that were brought about by the colonial powers were regarded as eroding the indigenous culture of Bali. Although Denpasar became known as a 'settler city', there was still a strong attachment to the indigenous culture.
Denpasar has undergone massive unplanned development during the 21st century, due to the expansion of tourism leading to the construction of increasingly more modern facilities in the heart of the city. Nonetheless, the market square still plays an important role, with its façade representing traditional elements of the Balinese culture.
Tourism
Tourism is a vital industry for Denpasar's economy. The city has become an increasingly popular destination for both domestic and international tourists. In December 2024, Denpasar recorded a total of 551,100 tourist visits, an increase from 481,646 in December 2023. In 2018, Denpasar along with Jakarta and Batam are among of 10 cities in the world with fastest growth in tourism, 32.7, 29.2 and 23.3 percent respectively.
As the capital city of Bali Province, Denpasar serves as both the cultural and administrative center of the island. It is known for its beaches, traditional markets, historic temples, local art markets, and street food scene.
Denpasar has various attractions. The white sandy beaches are well-known all over the island. The surfing beach is Serangan Island. Sanur Beach has calmer waters and is excellent for sunbathing and kitesurfing.