Digital Nomadism Continues To Grow, Despite The “Back To The Office” Trend (2024)

FAQs

What is the growth of digital nomadism? ›

In one survey, over 17 million American workers identified as digital nomads, an increase of 131% from 2019, and they included workers from a wide array of professions. This rise has also been fueled by the ease of obtaining digital nomad visas in many countries, post-pandemic.

Digital nomads are people who are location-independent and use technology to perform their job, living a nomadic lifestyle. Digital nomads work remotely, telecommuting rather than being physically present at a company's headquarters or office.

The global number of digital nomads is expected to reach 60 million by 2030.

The Rise of Digital Nomadism

Broadband internet, cloud computing, and smart devices have provided the foundational infrastructure. At the same time, an increasing emphasis on work-life balance and the flexibility to design one's own lifestyle has catered to the psychology behind this trend.

A recent study found that 17.3 million of workers in the U.S. (around 11% of the national workforce) now describe themselves as digital nomads, up 2% from the previous year, but up a staggering 131% since the pre-pandemic year of 2019.

Digital nomads work remotely while traveling [+] getty. The digital nomad lifestyle offers a unique work experience that comes with the autonomy of not being chained to an office. Like the name implies, it affords professionals with the opportunity to work remotely while traveling freely.

Nomadism is also a lifestyle adapted to infertile regions such as steppe, tundra, or ice and sand, where mobility is the most efficient strategy for exploiting scarce resources. For example, many groups living in the tundra are reindeer herders and are semi-nomadic, following forage for their animals.

Nomads and Nomadism in History

Nomadism is oriented toward living 'in' and 'with' nature, rather than dominating and exploiting it; as such, it represents a region-specific mode of subsistence that makes optimal use of ecological possibilities and sociopolitical conditions in order to survive.

Social Isolation and Loneliness: The lack of a physical workplace and established social circles can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness for some digital nomads. Building online communities and actively seeking out social connections in new locations is crucial.

Are digital nomads good for the economy? ›

Digital nomads can diversify tourism industries by providing a steady, year-round stream of relatively long-term, well-off visitors. This provides more sustainable fuel for local economies than seasonal tourist flows.

Being a digital nomad has many advantages and disadvantages. Some of the cons will look like income insecurity, loneliness and lack of structure in your work and daily life.

In 2021, digital nomads grew by 42%, reaching 15.5 million Americans embracing this lifestyle. And the growth didn't stop there. In 2022, we saw a steady rise to 16.9 million Americans, marking a total increase of 131% since the pre-pandemic years. It's safe to say that the digital nomad movement is on fire!

As technology evolves and companies grow more comfortable with a distributed and remote workforce, we predict a rise in the interest in and joining of the digital nomad movement for various reasons, including work/life balance, Baby Boomers "unretiring" and more.

It's not clear who coined the term digital nomad, but it was popularized in a 1997 book by Tsugio Makimoto and David Manners, who argued that new technology would allow people to return to a nomadic state and work from anywhere. This year, there were 17 million Americans who were digital nomads.

Key statistics include: Projected 35% growth in the digital nomad population from 2022 through 2025 per recent digital nomad stats. This outpaces most labor category expansion. Up to 43% plan to continue the lifestyle indefinitely, looking ahead 3-5 years.

In 2021, the number of digital nomads increased 42% compared to 2020, with 15.5 million Americans identifying as digital nomads. Although not as dramatically as in the first years of the pandemic, the numbers continued to grow steadily in 2022 when 16.9 million Americans said they identify as digital nomads.

In the ever-changing world of 2024, the digital nomad lifestyle continues to appeal to people who want freedom, flexibility, and the opportunity to see the world while making a living. Imagine working to the sound of waves in Bali or in a high-rise apartment with vertiginous views of city skylines in Sydney.