4

2026 Ramadan Spending Surges Beyond Expectations

Every year, Ramadan brings a special blend of spiritual reflection, community connection, and a complete shift in our daily rhythms. But beyond the fasting and devotion, it also sparks a huge wave of social and economic activity, with families busy balancing traditions, festive budgeting, and holiday preparation.

Jakpat conducted pre- and post-Ramadan surveys to compare expectations against reality regarding budgets, shopping, hampers, suhoor and iftar preparation, iftar gatherings, and the homecoming (mudik) activity. The report reflects insights from 5,975 Muslim and non-Muslim respondents.

Actual spending for the month of Ramadan 2026 consistently exceeded consumers’ initial expectations across all categories. Food needs in the month of Ramadan as well as the fulfillment of zakat and charity became the top priorities with the same highest reality figure reaching 79%.

In addition, a significant surge from expectation to reality was seen in the Ramadan-Eid shopping sector (from 57% to 64%) as well as spending on recreation or vacations with family (from 23% to 31%).

Salary remains the main source of funding, sustaining budgets for about two-thirds of respondents, both in expectations and reality.

Ramadan Shopping

In general, the realization of public shopping for Ramadan and Eid needs shows a shift in priorities when compared to their initial expectations. Clothing remains the commodity that most dominates the shopping list with a reality figure reaching 90%, followed by fashion accessories (61%) and praying equipment (59%).

“This year’s Ramadan shopping pattern tends to be dynamic, where the dominance of clothing as well as the surge in accessories reflect the importance of the Eid moment for the community to look their best,” said Jakpat Lead Researcher, Farida Hasna.

Online shopping became the preferred method for most Ramadan shopping categories. Beauty products dominated the digital space, especially for makeup/skincare with the highest percentage of 88%. Conversely, consumers chose to shop directly (offline) for expensive items, especially home furniture (78%).

Shopping schedules varied widely across channels. Online shoppers tended to buy in the second week of Ramadan (31%), while shopping in physical stores tended to be concentrated in the third week of Ramadan (32%).

Socializing in the Month of Ramadan

The agenda of breaking the fast together remains a significant space for social interaction during the month of Ramadan. As many as 53% of Muslim respondents were recorded attending 2 to 4 times such activities. As for the social circles most visited at this moment are family at 70%, close friends at 51%, and other colleagues and relatives reaching 40%.

“For many people, Ramadan is not only about performing worship, but also about maintaining relationships with meaningful people in their lives. This can be seen from the high participation in breaking fast together activities, which is then followed by various forms of appreciation and attention to family, friends, and groups in need,” said Hasna.

Jakpat’s findings show that 74% of Muslim respondents gave gifts or hampers during Ramadan. The majority of the commodities given were in the form of food products, which included cookies (54%), packaged food/beverages (49%), as well as basic supplies or sembako (46%). These hampers were mainly distributed to the closest circles, such as family and friends, as well as community groups in need.

Mudik/vacation

A total of 79% of respondents migrated out of town during Ramadan, both mudik and just vacationing. Out of the total respondents who mudik, 37% chose to leave in the fourth week of Ramadan. On the other hand, as many as 53% of respondents whose goal was to vacation only traveled after Eid.