Eid Holiday Exodus Predicted to Surge, 30.9 Million People Departing from West Java
Jakarta — The government predicts that public movement during the 2026 Eid holiday exodus will be substantial, potentially surpassing previously estimated figures from surveys. This surge in mobility is expected to occur across most regions, particularly on Java Island, which serves as both the centre of economic activity and the origin point for most holiday travellers.
Minister of Transportation Dudy Purwagandhi stated that public mobility ahead of Eid has consistently shown trends higher than initial estimates. This reality prompts the government to prepare various transportation and traffic management scenarios to prevent extreme congestion on major routes.
“The Eid holiday problem tends to exceed the figures projected in surveys. Regarding the national picture of departure and destination areas, the largest movement originates from West Java at approximately 30.97 million people, followed by Jakarta and East Java,” Dudy said during a meeting with Commission V of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, 11 March 2026.
The large exodus from West Java reflects the region’s very high population density and its proximity to the Jakarta metropolitan area.
“Regarding travel destinations, the largest flow heads toward Central Java at 38.71 million people. This is followed by East Java and West Java,” Dudy stated.
Public movement is also notably substantial at the district and city level. Densely populated areas are predicted to be the primary sources of departing holiday travellers heading to their hometowns across various provinces.
“At the district or city level, travel origins are dominated by densely populated areas such as East Jakarta at 2.56 million people, followed by Bogor Regency and Bekasi Regency,” he explained.
Movement patterns are also evident in the greater Jabodetabek agglomeration zone, which has traditionally served as the centre of national mobility. Many residents of this region choose to return to their hometowns in Central Java.
“Within the Jabodetabek area, the largest origin of public movement is Bogor Regency at 5.35 million people, followed by Tangerang Regency. Central Java is the favourite destination for Jabodetabek residents,” he continued.
Given these substantial figures, the government considers travel timing management as crucial to avoiding extreme congestion. Consequently, flexible work policies are being implemented ahead of the exodus period.
The government hopes that the public can plan travel schedules earlier so that movement distribution does not concentrate on just one or two days.
“Eid 2026 will fall close to Nyepi Day. With the implementation of Work From Anywhere on 16 and 17 March during the exodus period, the public is expected to depart earlier, starting from H-8, which is Friday 13 March 2026,” Dudy said.