Next week, Muslims worldwide will initiate the sacred month of Ramadan, with the observance beginning on Monday, March 12; over a billion followers will fast from dawn until dusk.
Ramadan starts approximately two weeks earlier each year. In 2024, it coincided with progressively shorter and cooler days in one hemisphere, affecting the duration of daily fasts globally, with times ranging from 12 to over 17 hours.
Chile has the shortest fasting period in the Southern Hemisphere, averaging 12 hours and 44 minutes. Neighbouring countries such as New Zealand, Argentina, and South Africa also experience fasts lasting between 12 and 13 hours daily.
Conversely, in countries far from the equator, like Finland, Greenland, and Iceland, the faithful are set to undergo the longest fasts, averaging 17 hours per day. Despite concerns about fasting in regions experiencing nearly perpetual daylight, this Ramadan will not witness the phenomenon of the midnight sun.
Nonetheless, areas with extended daylight hours will allow Muslims to adhere to the fasting times of cities like Makkah in Saudi Arabia, where the daily fast will span approximately 13.5 to 14 hours.
Among Arab nations, Tunisia will see the longest fasting duration at 14 hours and 29 minutes, highlighting the diverse range of fasting experiences across the Muslim world during this holy month.
