Causes of Fluctuations in the Economic Value of Zakat Fitrah
The Chairman of the National Zakat Agency (Baznas), Sodik Mudjahid, stated that zakat fitrah during Ramadan 2026 is on an upward trend. This projection is based on the increasing number of muzaki, or those obligated to pay zakat, although from an economic value perspective, there are fluctuations due to external factors such as rice prices and the economic conditions of the community.
Sodik said that Baznas continues to encourage zakat to contribute to welfare development. “This is an opportunity to strengthen that zakat managed by BAZNAS is not merely a religious obligation, but a strategic instrument in maintaining the social and economic balance of the ummah,” he said in a written statement on Monday, 30 March 2026.
According to Sodik, the collection of zakat at the central level has increased by 9.15 per cent. In 2025, zakat collected amounted to Rp 11.86 billion, rising to Rp 12.95 billion this year. Nationally, zakat collections during last year’s Ramadan reached Rp 4.63 trillion, consisting of Rp 715.6 billion on balance sheet and Rp 3.92 trillion off balance sheet.
“This shows that overall, the trend in zakat fitrah continues to grow and has great potential to be further optimised,” he said.
In addition, Sodik added that Baznas continues to optimise zakat receipts through various methods this year. Baznas is strengthening the ecosystem through expanding collection channels via collaborations with ministries, state institutions, the private sector, and the Indonesian diaspora.
Furthermore, Sodik stated that Baznas is optimising the potential of zakat from productive economic sectors such as agriculture, livestock, fisheries, to services and trade sectors. BAZNAS is also developing approaches to modern wealth instruments such as zakat on savings, deposits, gold, and shares. “Baznas continues to strengthen ecosystem-based strategies, expanding collection channels,” he said.
The Institute for Demographic and Affluence Studies (IDEAS) projects the national potential for zakat fitrah to be in the range of 480.1 to 541.4 thousand tonnes of rice, equivalent to Rp 6.4 to Rp 7.1 trillion. This potential is calculated based on an estimated number of muzaki reaching 192.0–216.6 million people in Indonesia, or about 80–90 per cent of the total Muslim population.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Religious Affairs projects the national potential for zakat fitrah in 2026 to reach 610.7 thousand tonnes of rice valued at Rp 7.95 trillion. Compared to last year, the rice volume has increased from 604.7 thousand tonnes. However, its economic value has decreased from Rp 7.99 trillion in 2025 to Rp 7.95 trillion this year.
This year, the Ministry of Religious Affairs has initiated the digitalisation of zakat fitrah payments. During Ramadan 2026, zakat payments can already be made using the Quick Response Code Indonesia Standard (QRIS) static, digital wallets, and online zakat platforms.
The Director General of Islamic Community Guidance at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Abu Rokhmad, said this innovation is intended so that every zakat transaction is directly recorded in the Baznas system while also optimising the economic potential of zakat. “It automatically records transactions into the Baznas financial system,” said Abu when contacted by Tempo on Monday, 16 March 2026.
Based on the Decree of the Chairman of the National Zakat Agency Number 14 of 2026 on Zakat Fitrah and Fidyah, the authorities have set the amount of zakat to be paid as 2.5 to 3.5 litres of rice or staple food per person. If zakat is in the form of cash, Baznas sets the value at Rp 50,000 per person. Zakat payments can be made at the beginning of Ramadan or at the latest before Eid al-Fitr.
According to Abu, the decline in economic value is due to a change in the assumption of the national average price of medium rice from Rp 14,337 per kilogram to Rp 13,878 per kilogram in 2026. “The economic value is projected to decline,” he said.
In addition to digitalisation, Abu said his institution has also prepared various strategies to optimise zakat receipts during this year’s Eid. Moreover, the number of muzaki in 2026 has also increased to around 226 million people from 224 million in 2025.
Abu said the National Zakat Agency is pushing for the strengthening of regulations that fully implement PSAK 409 accounting standards. At the same time, the authorities are also providing uniform technical guidelines for Baznas across regions and zakat collection units.
In addition, Abu said Baznas also requires zakat collection units to prepare consolidated reports so that local collections are integrated into the national system. Optimisation of culturally based amil will also be pursued by providing legal recognition in the form of official Amil Decrees to zakat collectors in mosques as a regulatory basis.
According to Abu, Baznas is also utilising campaigns and education on social media as well as from mosque pulpits to build public trust. Meanwhile, Baznas is also implementing real-time monitoring so that the zakat collection unit systems and the Baznas management information system are connected. “So that transactions can be monitored directly to prevent data delays and under-reporting,” he said.