Transport Expert Predicts Fall in 2026 Mudik Travellers

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – The movement of people during the Lebaran mudik season for 2026 is not expected to rise significantly compared with previous years. The generally slowing economic conditions are seen as one of the factors influencing people’s decisions to travel. A transport observer from the Institute for Transport Studies (Instran), Ki Darmaningtyas, said that the economic conditions recently have the potential to suppress the number of mudik travelers, especially from the worker group which is the main contributor to mudik trips. ‘Civil servants in the Jabodetabek area who in previous years contributed heavily to mobility by using private cars, in 2026 may experience a decline,’ Darmaningtyas said in his official statement on Thursday (5 March 2026). According to Darma, one of the factors influencing this condition is the reduction of official travel that has long been a source of additional income for some civil servants. Not only from the civil servants, he also sees potential slowdowns in mobility from the private sector workers. The business environment has not yet fully recovered, causing some employees to cut back on spending, including for mudik travel. ‘Similarly, private-sector employees will not experience an increase because their businesses are also experiencing a downturn,’ he said. Nevertheless, the mudik tradition is believed to continue because it has become part of Indonesian society’s culture. However, in terms of travel numbers, there may be adjustments compared with previous periods.