These settlements existed in the area before it was protected. The Komodo settlement has the largest population, with 270 houses in 2000. The total population currently living in the park is 3267, with 16.816 people in the area immediately surrounding the park.
The population is mainly engaged in fishing. Most of the communities in and around the park speak Indonesian (the official and national language of Indonesia), but the Bajo (Sama-Bajau) language is used in daily communication in most communities.
