Ramadan 2025: How non-mudik crowds in Indonesia plan to spend their time and money

After exploring Indonesians' Ramadan plans, particularly their THR spending and Mudik travel, we now turn our focus to those staying behind - how do they plan to spend their money and time this holiday season?

But first, how many are staying behind this Ramadan?

Over a third of Indonesians (37%) surveyed say they don’t plan to travel to their hometowns and nearly two in 10 (18%) say they’re undecided. More women than men have said they’re not travelling to their hometowns this Ramadan (40% vs. 35%).

We dive into YouGov Surveys data to understand what’s stopping some Indonesians from visiting their hometowns.

The most common reason for skipping mudik is respondents saying they do not have a hometown, a factor cited by 37% of respondents, with a higher proportion among women saying this (42%) than men (32%). Nearly two in 10 of those not travelling (17%) cite a lack of budget. 

Similar proportions of Indonesians who are skipping mudik say they’re doing so as they cannot leave their job (12%) and because they wish to avoid traffic jams (14%). One in ten say they are taking a vacation instead (12%).

The data gives an interesting look into what people plan to do if they aren’t heading back to their hometowns for mudik. Most say they will either visit relatives (60%) or just stay home (55%). The third most popular response: visiting cemeteries (34%).

Leisure activities are on the cards for some as well – visiting domestic tourist spots (25%), malls (22%), and restaurants (22%). One in six (14%) plan to stay busy with work, 9% hope to catch a movie at the cinema and 8% say they will use this time to focus on their business, and 4% plan to go abroad for a vacation.

Methodology:

YouGov Surveys: Serviced provides quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. This study was conducted online in December 2024, with a sample of 2,012 adults in Indonesia (aged 18+ years), using a questionnaire designed by YouGov. Data figures have been weighted by gender, age, socioeconomic class, city tier to be representative of the adult Indonesian online population (18 years or older) and reflect the latest Indonesian Bureau of Statistics (BPS) population estimates. Learn more about YouGov Surveys: Serviced.

Photo by ferdiyantoro bagus saputro on Unsplash

Also read:

Ramadan 2025 – How Indonesians plan to spend and give this festive season

Ramadan 2025: Travel plans, traditions, and booking trends for mudik