explainer
The dawn-to-dusk fast lasts between 11.5 and 15.5 hours, depending on where you are in the world.
Published February 15, 2026
The Islamic holy month of Ramadan is scheduled to begin on February 18th or 19th, depending on the sighting of the crescent moon.
During this month, which lasts 29 or 30 days, Muslims who fast refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk, usually 12 to 15 hours, depending on the location.
Muslims believe that Ramadan is the month in which the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad more than 1,400 years ago.
Fasting involves abstaining from eating, drinking, smoking, and sexual relations during the day in order to achieve greater “taqwa,” or God consciousness.
Why is the start date of Ramadan different every year?
Ramadan begins 10 to 12 days earlier each year. This is because the Islamic calendar is based on the lunar Hijri calendar, where the months are either 29 or 30 days long.
For almost 90 percent of the world’s population living in the northern hemisphere, fasting time will be slightly shorter this year and will continue to decrease until 2031, when Ramadan, which includes the shortest day of the year, begins in 2031.
For Muslim fasters living south of the equator, fasting times will be longer than last year.
A lunar year is 11 days shorter than a solar year, so there will be two Ramadans in 2030. The first begins on January 5th, then on December 26th.
fasting times around the world
Daylight hours vary around the world.
Since this Ramadan is winter in the northern hemisphere, people there observe the shortest fast of about 12 to 13 hours on the first day, and the duration increases throughout the month.
People from southern countries such as Chile, New Zealand and South Africa fast the longest, lasting about 14 to 15 hours on the first day. However, the fasting time decreases throughout the month.
fasting times around the world
The table below shows the number of fasting, suhoor and iftar times on the first and last day of Ramadan 2026. Find your city using the arrows or search box.
ramadan greetings in different languages
In Muslim-majority countries, there are various greetings in their native languages for Ramadan.
“Ramadan Mubarak” and “Ramadan Kareem” are the most common greetings exchanged during this period, wishing the recipient a blessed or prosperous month, respectively.