List of Locations with the Longest Fasting Hours During Ramadan 2026

Jakarta — The holy month of Ramadan this year for Muslims will commence after sunset on Tuesday, 17 February or Wednesday, 18 February, depending on one’s location in the world.

The exact date of Ramadan changes each year as Islam follows a calendar based on lunar cycles. Generally, Ramadan shifts back approximately 11 days in the calendar from one year to the next.

During each day, fasting takes place from dawn or sunrise until maghrib or sunset. This is observed daily for 29 to 30 days, as cited from the BBC website on Wednesday, 18 February 2026.

In Puerto Williams, Chile, often considered the world’s southernmost city, fasting lasts from approximately 06:30 to 21:00 (14.5 hours) at the start of this Ramadan.

However, in Longyearbyen, Norway, generally regarded as the world’s northernmost city or permanent settlement, fasting lasts only between approximately 10:50 and 13:30 (around 2.5 hours) at the beginning of the holy month.

In Arab countries, fasting hours will range between 12 and 13 hours per day. In the holy city of Mecca, fasting at the start of Ramadan will begin at approximately 06:50 and end at 18:20 (11.5 hours). By the end of the holy month, fasting will last half an hour longer.

Muslims living in major cities in the Southern Hemisphere will fast longer than those in the Middle East. Muslims in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, must fast for 13 hours and 15 minutes at the start of Ramadan.

A similar duration is experienced by Muslims in Auckland, New Zealand. In Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, fasting lasts approximately 9 hours at the start of Ramadan. The fasting duration increases to more than 12 hours by the end of Ramadan.