During the 1970s the rate of population growth in Bali declined substantially. These demographic changes occurred within the context of a predominantly peasant, agrarian society. Yet our understanding of why the changes took place and of the forces shaping emerging population patterns remains extremely limited. In this paper new ways are explored of interpreting recent demographic events through the use of historical, anthropological and socio-economic data. While aggregate data for Bali indicate declines in the rate of annual population increase and the total fertility rate, demographic patterns are shown to vary widely among communities and regions within the island. Differential growth patterns within Bali are being influenced by a diverse set of factors, both from Bali's cultural and historical-demographic past and through the influence of modern Indonesian values and changing economic conditions.