Ramadan Fasting Hours Around the World Vary by Location and Season

The start of the holy month of Ramadan depends on moon sighting, with some countries beginning on February 18 and others on February 19. Due to geographical differences, fasting durations vary significantly across the world. Near the equator, fasting hours remain shorter, while in higher northern or southern latitudes, they can range from 17 to 20 hours depending on the season.

This year, Ramadan is expected to be relatively comfortable in many places due to seasonal timing. In countries close to the equator like Saudi Arabia and Qatar, daily fasting will last about 14 hours. In extreme locations such as Greenland or Alaska—where the sun may not set—Islamic scholars recommend following Mecca or Saudi Arabia timings for fasting.

In the northern hemisphere (including Bangladesh), early Ramadan falls at the end of winter and start of spring, so daylight hours begin shorter and gradually increase. This means fasting durations will start around 12–13 hours and slowly extend as the month progresses. In the southern hemisphere (Chile, New Zealand, South Africa), early fasting will be longer (14–15 hours) and gradually shorten toward the end of Ramadan.

Fasting Durations in Key Cities (First and Last Day of Ramadan)

In Dhaka (Bangladesh), the first day requires 12 hours 43 minutes of fasting (Sehri ends at 5:13 am, Iftar at 5:56 pm), increasing to 13 hours 23 minutes on the last day. In New Delhi (India), the first day is 12 hours 38 minutes, rising to 13 hours 26 minutes on the last day. In Islamabad (Pakistan), the first day lasts 12 hours 29 minutes, extending to 13 hours 29 minutes.

In Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), fasting begins at 13 hours 11 minutes and reaches 13 hours 15 minutes by the end. Colombo (Sri Lanka) starts with 13 hours 6 minutes and ends at 13 hours 16 minutes. Bangkok (Thailand) begins at 12 hours 56 minutes and ends at 13 hours 17 minutes. Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) and Doha (Qatar) both start at around 12 hours 43–44 minutes and end at 13 hours 24 minutes.

Dubai (UAE) follows a similar pattern with 12 hours 43 minutes initially and 13 hours 24 minutes at the end. Los Angeles (USA) starts with 12 hours 15 minutes and ends at 13 hours 14 minutes. Zurich (Switzerland) begins at 12 hours 11 minutes and reaches 13 hours 50 minutes. Rome (Italy) starts at 12 hours 19 minutes and ends at 13 hours 40 minutes.

Even within large countries like Russia or China, fasting times can vary significantly from one end to the other. In Bangladesh too, minor differences exist between districts due to slight variations in sunrise and sunset times.