Growth, Demographics & Visas • SQ Magazine

Digital nomads now make up approximately 12% of the U.S. workforce, with 18.5 million American workers identifying as digital nomads in 2025, a 153% increase since 2019, according to MBO Partners’ 2025 Digital Nomads Trends Report. The cohort has shifted to a mainstream segment dominated by remote employees, a Mainstreaming Reversal of the freelancer narrative. The global counterpart spans roughly 40 million workers across 60-plus visa-friendly countries.

The data below covers population estimates, demographic breakdowns, employment composition, income, and AI adoption rates, the Global Citizen Solutions country index, the visa-program inventory, and the compliance gaps that ride along with workforce mobility today.

Key Takeaways

• 18.5 million American workers, or approximately 12% of the U.S. workforce, identify as digital nomads in 2025, per MBO Partners.
• The U.S. digital nomad population has grown approximately 153% since 2019, with a 2.2% increase from 2024 to 2025.
• Gen Z (approximately 35%) and Millennials (40%) make up 75% of the digital nomad population.
• Traditional remote employees now outnumber independent workers among nomads, with approximately 11.2 million employees versus 7.3 million independents in 2025.
• Nine in ten digital nomads (approximately 89%) report using AI in their work.
• Spain ranks #1 for digital nomads in 2025 with a score of 89.12, leading 64 countries evaluated by Global Citizen Solutions.

Editor’s Choice

• Approximately 18.5 million U.S. digital nomads in 2025 (MBO Partners).
• Over 40 million digital nomads worldwide, per industry estimates compiled by the World Economic Forum.
• 21 million additional U.S. workers want to become digital nomads, with 45 million considering it.
• 64 national visa schemes evaluated in the 2025 Global Digital Nomad Index.
• approximately 89% of digital nomads use AI in their daily work (MBO Partners 2025).
• 36% of U.S. digital nomads work without formal employer consent.

Recent Developments

• April 10, 2026: The European Union’s Entry/Exit System (EES) went operational, recording exact entry/exit dates and tightening enforcement against tourist-visa remote work across Schengen.
• January 27, 2026: The United Arab Emirates launched its Remote Working Visa, a 12-month renewable residency for foreign-employer remote workers, with no local sponsor required.
• March 2026: EY’s Global Immigration Index focused its quarterly briefing on remote work and digital nomads, signalling immigration policy is formalising around the cohort.
• October 2025: MBO Partners published its 2025 Digital Nomads Trends Report, raising the U.S. nomad estimate to approximately 18.5 million, up from 18.1 million in 2024.
• June 2025: Global Citizen Solutions released its 2025 Digital Nomad Index, evaluating 64 visa schemes across 15 indicators.
• 2025: Independent-worker nomads declined approximately 7% year over year, falling from 7.9 million in 2024 to 7.3 million in 2025, driven partly by Baby Boomer drop-offs and rising costs.
• Early 2024: Portugal’s Non-Habitual Residence (NHR) tax program ended, removing a major incentive that drew over 2,600 digital-nomad D8 visa holders to the country.
• 2025: AI adoption among digital nomads reached approximately 89%.

How Many Digital Nomads Are There Worldwide?

• The global digital nomad population has grown to over 40 million workers, per industry estimates compiled by the World Economic Forum.
• U.S.-based nomads (approximately 18.5 million) account for nearly half of the estimated over 40 million global digital nomad population, the largest single-country share.
• Many Small Island Developing States have introduced digital nomad visa programmes to attract this growing demographic over recent years, according to the World Economic Forum.
• Around 60 countries now offer digital nomad visas or remote-worker residency programmes as of 2026.
• Buffer’s State of Remote Work survey found that about 91% of remote employees would like to keep working in a remote setting, the underlying preference signal that feeds the nomad pipeline.
• Buffer also found that about 98% of respondents would recommend remote work to others, suggesting low friction for new entrants into nomadism.

Source: MBO Partners, World Economic Forum, Global Citizen Solutions

For readers tracking the broader workforce shift, our remote work security data shows how the same population reshapes enterprise security perimeters.

Digital Nomad Population in the United States

• 18.5 million American workers identify as digital nomads in 2025, representing approximately 12% of the U.S. workforce.
• The 2024 figure stood at 18.1 million, or 11% of the U.S. workforce, per MBO Partners’ September 2024 release.
• 21 million additional workers want to become digital nomads, with another 45 million considering it.
• Younger generations comprise the majority: Gen Z held 26% and Millennials 38% of the U.S. nomad population in 2024, per MBO Partners’ 2024 wave.
• Digital nomads are well-educated relative to the broader population, with 52% holding a college degree or higher in 2024 versus 35% for adult Americans.
• 36% of U.S. digital nomads operate without formal employer consent, per MBO Partners’ 2024 release.

Source: MBO Partners State of Independence

Year-Over-Year Growth Trends Since 2019

• The U.S. digital nomad population grew approximately 153% between 2019 and 2025, per MBO Partners’ 2025 report.
• Growth from 2023 to 2024 ran at approximately 4.7%, decelerating to 2.2% between 2024 and 2025.
• Traditional remote employees who nomad grew approximately 10% year over year in 2025, reaching 11.2 million.
• Independent-worker nomads declined approximately 7% year over year in 2025, falling from 7.9 million in 2024 to 7.3 million.
• The 2024 release noted 147% growth since 2019, slightly below the 2025 update of approximately 153%, reflecting the additional year of expansion.

Source: MBO Partners

By the numbers: According to MBO Partners’ 2025 Digital Nomads Trends Report, the U.S. digital nomad population grew approximately 153% between 2019 and 2025 to reach 18.5 million workers. Growth has slowed to approximately 2.2% year over year, signaling the cohort is moving from explosive expansion to mainstream maturity.

Digital Nomad Demographics by Generation

• Millennials lead the cohort at approximately 40%, per MBO Partners’ 2025 report.
• Gen Z holds approximately 35% of the digital nomad population.
• Combined, Gen Z and Millennials make up approximately 75% of all digital nomads.
• Gen X accounts for approximately 19% of digital nomads in 2025.
• Baby Boomers make up approximately 6% of the digital nomad population, the lowest of the four generations tracked.
• Our Gen Z social media data shows younger workers blend digital and physical mobility in ways prior generations did not.

Gender, Education, and Marital Status Profile

• Approximately 56% of digital nomads identify as male, 43% as female, and 1% as nonbinary in 2025.
• More than half (approximately 54%) of all digital nomads are married or living with a partner, per MBO Partners.
• Approximately 54% of digital nomads hold a college degree or higher, and 19% have an advanced degree.
• In the 2024 wave, 52% of nomads had a college degree or higher, versus 35% of adult Americans.
• White workers represent approximately 66% of digital nomads, African Americans 27%, Hispanic workers 8%, and Asian workers 4%.
• The African American share rose from approximately 21% in 2023 to 27% in 2025.

Remote Employees vs Independent Workers

• Traditional employees now make up the larger share of digital nomads at approximately 11.2 million versus 7.3 million independents in 2025.
• The employee segment grew approximately 10% year over year, while independents declined 7%.
• Independent nomads peaked at approximately 7.9 million in 2024 before falling 7% in 2025.
• The reversal flips the historical narrative: nomadism originated as a freelancer movement, but the typical 2025 nomad holds a W-2 job.
• Almost three-quarters of the approximately 7% decline in independent nomads came from fewer Baby Boomer independents, per MBO Partners.
• Among remote workers broadly, about 82% of remote workers choose their homes as their primary work location, per Buffer’s State of Remote Work survey.

Key finding: Per MBO Partners’ 2025 Digital Nomads Trends Report, traditional remote employees who nomad reached approximately 11.2 million in 2025 (up 10%) while independent-worker nomads fell to 7.3 million (down 7% from 7.9 million). The crossover marks employees outnumbering independents in the U.S. nomad cohort.

Digital Nomad Income and Earnings

• About four out of five (approximately 81%) digital nomads report being either very satisfied (41%) or satisfied (40%) with their income, per MBO Partners’ 2025 report.
• approximately 82% of digital nomads reported being highly satisfied with their job overall in the 2025 survey.
• Most digital nomad visa programs require minimum monthly incomes between €2,000 and €5,000, providing a rough income floor for visa-holding nomads.
• around Japan and South Korea sit significantly higher than most countries’ requirements, requiring approximately €57,000 to €60,000 annually.
• Portugal’s D8 visa requires applicants to demonstrate an income of approximately €3,680 per month, four times the country’s minimum wage.

Source: MBO Partners, national immigration agencies (Portugal AIMA, Japan, South Korea)

AI Adoption Among Digital Nomads

• Nine in ten digital nomads (approximately 89%) report using AI in their work, per MBO Partners’ 2025 report.
• Nomad AI adoption runs materially higher than enterprise baselines, where knowledge-worker AI use sits at 30-60%
• AI tooling cuts distributed-work friction: drafting collapses language barriers, scheduling reconciles time zones, and code-generation enables solo devs.
• Approximately 89% of digital nomads report using AI in their work.
• Heavy AI use expands the surface area for shadow AI usage statistics when nomads use unsanctioned tools across borders.

Source: MBO Partners, industry knowledge-worker survey ranges

For readers tracking AI’s broader workforce impact, our AI workforce impact data provides context on which roles AI displaces versus augments.

Top Countries for Digital Nomads (GCS 2025 Index)

• Spain ranks #1 in the 2025 Global Digital Nomad Index with a score of 89.12, per Global Citizen Solutions.
• The Netherlands ranks #2 at 86.26, followed by Norway at 86.20 and Estonia at 85.77.
• Romania (84.89), Malta (84.48), Portugal (84.07), Canada (83.65), Hungary (83.61), and France (83.17) round out the top 10.
• The 2025 index assessed each country across 15 indicators grouped into 6 dimensions: Procedure, Citizenship and Mobility, Tax Optimisation, Economics, Quality of Life, and Tech and Innovation.
• 14 countries allow conversion of the digital nomad visa to permanent residency, per Global Citizen Solutions.
• Only three countries, Czechia, Greece, and Spain, link nomad visas directly to a pathway to citizenship.

The Digital Nomad Visa Map

• Around 60 countries offer digital nomad visas or remote-worker residency programmes as of 2026.
• Of the 64 schemes evaluated by Global Citizen Solutions in 2025, 14 allow conversion to permanent residency.
• Only 3 countries (Czechia, Greece, Spain) offer a direct pathway from a nomad visa to citizenship.
• Most national visa schemes require a monthly income between €2,000 and €5,000, with Japan and South Korea sitting significantly higher at approximately €57,000 to €60,000 annually.
• Visa programmes consolidate into three archetypes: short-stay, medium-term renewable, and citizenship-track.
• The 2025 index used 15 indicators across 6 dimensions, including taxation, citizenship pathway, quality of life, and technology.

Source: Global Citizen Solutions Global Digital Nomad Report

Citation Capsule: The Global Citizen Solutions 2025 Digital Nomad Index evaluated 64 national visa schemes; only 14 allow conversion to permanent residency, and just 3 countries (Czechia, Greece, Spain) link the nomad visa to a pathway to citizenship, making most programs short-term residency tools rather than long-term migration channels.

Portugal D8 Visa: A Migration Case Study

• Over 2,600 Portuguese D8 digital nomad visas have been issued as of 2024, with American applicants leading the cohort.
• 19,258 U.S. citizens were officially registered with valid Portuguese residence permits at the end of 2024.
• Portugal granted 4,941 new residence titles to U.S. citizens during 2024 alone.
• The D8 visa requires applicants to demonstrate an income of approximately €3,680 per month, four times the Portuguese minimum wage.
• Over Brazilian and British applicants follow Americans as the next-largest D8 cohorts, per Portugal-focused immigration trackers.
• Portugal’s NHR tax program ended at the start of 2024, yet D8 applications remained strong, suggesting lifestyle factors matter as much as tax arbitrage.

Source: Portugal AIMA, Portugal Digital Nomad Visa resources

Top Cities and Destinations

• Lisbon, Bangkok, Mexico City, Medellín, and Bali top digital nomad city rankings. Lisbon offers 100 to 300 Mbps urban internet and rents for around €1,000 per month. Mexico’s Temporary Resident Visa permits stays up to four years.
• Buffer’s State of Remote Work data shows about 82% of remote workers choose their homes as their primary work location, only 5% working from coworking spaces, and 2% preferring coffee shops or other locations, suggesting the visible “café nomad” archetype is a small slice of the workforce.

Source: Nomad community platforms, Global Citizen Solutions, national immigration agencies

Employer Compliance and Policy Gaps

• 36% of U.S. digital nomads operate without formal employer consent, per MBO Partners’ 2024 release.
• Lack of formal consent exposes employers to four risk categories: foreign payroll tax, permanent-establishment tax, immigration violations, and GDPR breaches.
• The compliance gap is widest in the employee-nomad segment, since 11.2 million workers nomad under employer payroll, yet few employers maintain international-work policies.
• Cybersecurity exposure is amplified when nomads connect from foreign networks. Readers can review our cybersecurity threat data for incident-rate context.
• An emerging response is “tethered nomadism,” where workers travel within range of their head office and return on rotation. HR teams hardening these policies use benchmarks in our cybersecurity workforce data.

Source: MBO Partners, standard cross-border employment risk frameworks

Job and Income Satisfaction

• approximately 82% of digital nomads reported being highly satisfied with their job in 2025, per MBO Partners.
• About four out of five (approximately 81%) are satisfied with their income, broken into 41% very satisfied and 40% satisfied.
• Buffer’s State of Remote Work found that about 98% of respondents would recommend remote work to others, an underlying durability signal for the broader remote workforce that feeds nomadism.
• Buffer’s surveyed remote workers cited flexibility as the top benefit, with about 22% valuing flexibility in how they spend their time, 19% flexibility in where they live, and 13% flexibility in choosing their work location.

Source: MBO Partners, Buffer

The Future Pipeline: 21 Million Aspirational Nomads

• 21 million U.S. workers express a desire to become digital nomads, per MBO Partners.
• An additional 45 million are considering digital nomadism, more than double the 18.5-million current base.
• The combined aspirational pool (21 million who want to nomad plus 45 million considering it) is more than 3.5x the current approximately 18.5 million digital nomad population, signaling a material runway for further growth.
• Conversion to active nomading depends on employer policy clarity, currency pressures, and visa speed.
• If even one in five aspirational workers converted, the U.S. nomad population would exceed 22 million, lifting the share of the workforce above 14%.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Conclusion

Digital nomads have moved from a niche lifestyle category into a mainstream workforce segment, with 18.5 million American workers (approximately 12% of the US workforce) and roughly 40 million counterparts worldwide actively working while traveling in 2025. Growth has decelerated to 2.2% year over year as the easy gains from pandemic-era remote-work expansion give way to slower conversion of the aspirational pool (21 million who want plus 45 million considering it) sitting in the pipeline.

The most consequential shift is structural rather than numeric: traditional remote employees (approximately 11.2 million) now outnumber independent freelancer-nomads (7.3 million), flipping a long-held assumption about who nomads. AI adoption among the cohort runs at approximately 89%, ahead of typical enterprise baselines, and visa programmes span around 60 countries with three citizenship-pathway programs anchoring the long-term migration channels. For employers, the data points to a single priority: closing the 36% consent gap with explicit international-work policies before the compliance, tax, and security risks compound. For workers, the takeaway is simpler. The cohort is large, well-educated, AI-fluent, and overwhelmingly satisfied with the trade-off, which is why the pipeline keeps growing.