For Indonesian society, the Lebaran homecoming is a tradition that\nhas scarcely lost its significance.<\/p>\n
Each year as Eid al-Fitr approaches, millions of people leave the\ncities where they work to return to their villages. Toll roads fill with\nvehicles, train stations and bus terminals are crowded with passengers,\nwhilst airports experience an extraordinary surge in travel.<\/p>\n
Behind the bustle of these journeys, homecoming is not merely a human\nmobility event. It is a complex social phenomenon involving economic\nexchange, the strengthening of family bonds, and the transfer of values\nand knowledge from cities to rural areas.<\/p>\n
In modern migration studies, such phenomena are often linked to the\nconcept of remittance. Remittance has traditionally been understood as\nmoney transfers from migrant workers to their families in their areas of\norigin. However, in social practice, remittance also encompasses the\nexchange of ideas, experiences, and social networks brought back by\nmigrants.<\/p>\n
In Indonesia, the homecoming tradition represents a tangible form of\nthis process. Homecomers do not merely bring money earned in cities, but\nalso life experiences, new perspectives, and a spirit of sharing with\nfamily and community in their villages.<\/p>\n
The homecoming tradition is an enormous human mobility phenomenon in\nIndonesia. A Ministry of Transport survey showed that during the 2024\nLebaran season, the number of homecomers reached 193.6 million people,\nor approximately 71 per cent of Indonesia\u2019s total population, making it\none of the largest seasonal human movements in the world.<\/p>\n
For Lebaran 2025, the number of homecomers is estimated to decline to\n154 million people, or roughly 52 per cent of the national population.\nThis decline is influenced by factors including household economics and\nconsumer purchasing power dynamics. Nevertheless, the overall scale of\nmobility continues to demonstrate that homecoming represents a very\nsignificant socio-economic phenomenon in Indonesian society.<\/p>\n
Based on the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN)\nestimation for 2024, money circulation during the Ramadan and Eid period\nwas estimated to reach approximately Rp157.3 trillion, assuming\napproximately 193 million homecomers bringing an average of Rp3.25\nmillion per household.<\/p>\n
In 2025, KADIN estimates this figure will slightly decline to\nRp137\u2013Rp145 trillion as the number of homecomers decreases. Taking into\naccount all derived economic activities during the homecoming season,\nnumerous economic analyses often place the potential economic\ncirculation of homecoming at between Rp150\u2013200 trillion annually.<\/p>\n
The majority of this money circulation actually occurs in provincial\nareas. Historically, most of Indonesia\u2019s economic activity has been\nconcentrated in major cities. However, when homecoming season arrives,\npart of the income earned by urban workers flows back to villages in the\nform of family consumption, Lebaran shopping, and assistance to\nrelatives.<\/p>\n
According to research results from the Ministry of Finance (2023),\nincreased consumption during the Lebaran period can significantly boost\nprovincial economic activity, particularly in the commerce and services\nsectors, with increases reaching up to 20\u201330 per cent compared to normal\nmonths.<\/p>\n
For small business operators in provincial regions, the homecoming\nseason often becomes the busiest period of the year. Food stalls,\ntraditional markets, local transportation, and souvenir businesses\nexperience significant revenue increases. This demonstrates that\nhomecoming indirectly serves as a mechanism for economic redistribution\nfrom cities to provincial areas.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/understanding-the-meaning-of-remittances-behind-the-tradition-of-homecoming-1773388342", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }