How it works
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Hijri calendar. The countdown finds the next 1 Ramadan on the Umm al-Qura calendar, converts it to the Gregorian calendar and counts down from your device’s clock to midnight at the start of that day, updating every second.
Expected start of Ramadan in the coming years
| Hijri year | Expected Gregorian date |
|---|---|
| 1447 AH | Wednesday 18 February 2026 |
| 1448 AH | Monday 8 February 2027 |
| 1449 AH | Friday 28 January 2028 |
| 1450 AH | Tuesday 16 January 2029 |
| 1451 AH | Saturday 5 January 2030 |
Because a Hijri year is about 11 days shorter than a Gregorian year, Ramadan starts roughly 11 days earlier each year. Around 2030 it falls in early January, and it moves through every season over a cycle of about 33 years.
Example. Ramadan 1447 began on Wednesday 18 February 2026 on the Umm al-Qura calendar. From 5 November 2026, the next 1 Ramadan (1448) is expected on Monday 8 February 2027, which is 95 days away.
Why the real start may differ by a day
The beginning of Ramadan is confirmed by sighting the crescent moon on the evening of 29 Shaban. Depending on the sighting, the month can start one day later than the calculated date, and countries that rely on their own sighting can differ from each other. The official announcement of your country is what counts for fasting; this page gives the calculated date so you can plan ahead.
Preparing for Ramadan
- Zakat: many people pay their yearly zakat in Ramadan. Work it out with the zakat calculator or, for jewellery, the gold zakat calculator.
- Eid: see how long until the end of the month with the Eid al-Fitr countdown.
- Dates: check today’s Hijri date on today’s date.