The short answer
In July 2026, 188,850 Australian residents returned from short-term trips whose main country of stay was Indonesia, more than any other destination and 7.1% more than in July 2025.
That figure is from ABS Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia, reference period July 2026, table 3.2 (short-term resident returns, top 10 destination countries), released on 11 September 2026. The ABS counts the country, not the island; Bali is the main reason Australians fly to Indonesia, but the statistic is Indonesia.
For scale: 1,250,580 Australian residents returned from short-term trips in July 2026 in total, so Indonesia was about one in every seven. New Zealand was second at 133,640.
What the table shows
Indonesia has led every July in this series, and the gap has widened: 55,210 ahead of New Zealand in July 2026, up from 18,760 ahead in July 2019. Australians returning from Indonesia are up 32.7% on July 2019 (142,270 to 188,850) and 7.1% on July 2025 (176,330).
The bigger mover is Vietnam, which has more than doubled since July 2019 (28,200 to 58,990, up 109%). Thailand is up 25.9% over the same period (50,860 to 64,010) and Japan up 58.1% (34,690 to 54,840). The UK and the USA are the two destinations still below their July 2019 levels, down 14.5% and 32.2%.
All of those percentages are our arithmetic on the ABS figures in the table, rounded to one decimal place. The ABS itself reports the July 2026 total of short-term resident returns as 1,250,580, an increase of 3.8% on July 2025.
Indonesia, share of all returns
188,850 of 1,250,580 is 15.1%: about one Australian short-term trip in seven.
Indonesia vs New Zealand
Ahead by 55,210 in July 2026, versus 18,760 in July 2019.
Fastest growing since 2019
Vietnam, up 109%. Then Japan (58.1%), China (33.0%), Indonesia (32.7%).
How to read it, and what it does not say
"Short-term resident returns" counts Australian residents arriving back after a trip of less than 12 months, by the main country they stayed in. It is the standard proxy for where Australians travel. It is not a count of visitors to Bali: the ABS reports Indonesia as a country, and Bali is not separated out. Indonesia's own statistics agency publishes arrivals into Bali by nationality; we have not reproduced those here because we have not verified them from the primary source on the day.
The monthly figures are seasonal. July is a school-holiday month and a peak; we compare July with July for that reason and would not compare a July with a February. The ABS publishes this table monthly, so the whole series is available on the release page linked below.
We have not published any total for the year or any average, because a year-to-date figure needs every month's table and we have reproduced one. If you need the annual number, the ABS release page has every month.
For journalists and writers
A paragraph you can lift, with the source: "Indonesia was the most common destination for Australian residents returning from short-term trips in July 2026, with 188,850 returns, ahead of New Zealand on 133,640, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia, July 2026, released 11 September 2026). That is up 7.1% on July 2025 and 32.7% on July 2019."
We refresh this page after each monthly ABS release; the next is due 13 October 2026. If you cite it, link to the ABS table as well as to us. Questions about the page go to our contact page.
Changelog
- 12 September 2026: first publication. ABS reference period July 2026, table 3.2, released 11 September 2026. Next review 13 October 2026.
Questions about the numbers
How many Australians go to Bali each year?
Is Bali the most popular destination for Australians?
Where do these numbers come from?
Is this the same as visitor arrivals into Bali?
Why compare July with July?
When is this page updated?
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Sources and dates
- ABS, Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia, July 2026 (reference period), table 3.2, released 11 September 2026; next release 13 October 2026. Read 12 September 2026.
Left out on purpose because we could not verify it from a primary source: arrivals into Bali by nationality from BPS Bali, not verified from the primary source on the day; any annual total or average.