Countries With Longest Fasting Duration In The World

The holy month of Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, during which Muslims around the world observe fasting, prayer, and acts of charity. The fast is a daily abstention from food, drink, and other physical needs from dawn until sunset. Ramadan is considered a time for spiritual reflection, self-improvement, and increased devotion to God. Muslims break their fast at sunset with a meal called Iftar, often with family and friends. The month of Ramadan is also a time for increased generosity, with Muslims encouraged to give to the poor and those in need. Ramadan concludes with Eid al-Fitr, a festival of breaking the fast, marked by special prayers, gift-giving, and feasting. The observance of Ramadan is considered one of the Five Pillars of Islam, representing the basic obligations that every Muslim must fulfill.

For Muslims around the world, the appearance of the holy month of Ramadan is both a cause for festivity as well as a means of fulfilling one of the five pillars of Islam, videlicet the Ramadan presto. Although the Ramadan fasting hours vary around the world, they can generally be described as ‘ from dawn till dusk, ’ meaning that Muslims aren’t allowed to drink, eat, and engage in hubby-woman closeness for as long as the sun is still out. 

Depending on where they are, the Ramadan fasting period can get relatively cautioning, as the daylight hours in some regions can last up to 20 hours! Let’s take a look at some of the regions with the longest and shortest fasting hours around the world in 2023.

Shortest to longest duration Arab world

Tunisia: Shortest day – 13 hours and 44 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 55 minutes

Algeria: Shortest day – 13 hours and 30 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 56 minutes

Libya: Shortest day – 13 hours and 42 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 42 minutes

Morocco: Shortest day – 13 hours and 37 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 41 minutes

Egypt: Shortest day – 13 hours and 39 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 34 minutes

Iraq: Shortest day – 13 hours and 39 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 41 minutes

Bahrain: Shortest day – 13 hours and 30 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 17 minutes

UAE: Shortest day – 13 hours and 30 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 13 minutes

Saudi Arabia: Shortest day – 13 hours and 29 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 11 minutes

Oman: Shortest day – 13 hours and 31 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 13 minutes

Kuwait: Shortest day – 13 hours and 31 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 23 minutes

Lebanon: Shortest day – 13 hours and 45 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 48 minutes

Jordan: Shortest day – 13 hours and 40 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 40 minutes

Palestine: Shortest day – 13 hours and 53 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 52 minutes

Syria: Shortest day – 13 hours and 44 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 47 minutes

Qatar: Shortest day – 13 hours and 29 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 13 minutes

Mauritania: Shortest day – 13 hours and 28 minutes, longest day – 14 hours

Sudan: Shortest day – 13 hours and 20 minutes, longest day – 13 hours and 46 minutes

Yemen: Shortest day – 13 hours and 23 minutes, longest day – 13 hours and 45 minutes

Somalia: Shortest day – 13 hours and 22 minutes, longest day – 13 hours and 27 minutes

Djibouti: Shortest day – 13 hours and 25 minutes, longest day – 13 hours and 45 minutes

Comoros: Shortest day – 13 hours and 21 minutes, longest day – 13 hours and 5 minutes

Longest and shortest fasting hours in 2023 worldwide

Basically, the difference in fasting hours is due to the varying length of the day from one region to another. This has to do with the time of the time, distance from the ambit, and some other sciency stuff that makes the sun appear longer or shorter depending on where you are.

Places with the longest fasting hours

Nuuk, Greenland 

Fasting in Nuuk, Greenland is observed for 18 hours, which is the longest fasting hour of all places.   

Reykjavik, Iceland

In the capital city of Reykjavik, Iceland too, Muslims must endure a punishing 18-hour-long fast.

Glasgow, Scotland

Muslims in Glasgow, Scotland, must sustain a gruelling fast of 17 hours during Ramadan.

London, United Kingdom

The largest city and the capital of England and the United Kingdom, London also has the longest fasting hours for Muslims. A total of 16 to 17 hours of daylight makes completing a fast here a monumental feat.

Paris, France

The capital and the most populous city of France, Paris, also holds the longest fasting hours for the year 2023. The Muslims in Paris must find it within themselves to persevere through 13 hours and 57 minutes of submission.

Ottawa, Canada

This northernmost country in North America challenges a Muslim’s resolve by offering 13 hours and 32 minutes of fasting time. Those performing the Ramadan fast in Ottawa are advised to keep themselves fit by providing themselves with sufficient nutrition intake during their suhoor.

Other cities like Lisbon (Portugal), Athens (Greece), Beijing (China), Washington DC (US), Pyongyang (North Korea), and Ankara (Turkey) also have fasting hours for 15 to 16 hours.

Places with the shortest fasting hours

The following are places with the shortest fasting hours:

• Brasilia, Brazil – 12 to 13 hours
• Harare, Zimbabwe – 12 to 13 hours
• Johannesburg, South Africa – 11 to 12 hours
• Buenos Aires, Argentina – 12 hours
• Cape Town, South Africa – 11 to 12 hours
• Christchurch, New Zealand – 12 hours
• Ciudad del Este, Paraguay – 11 to 12 hours
• Montevideo, Uruguay – 11 to 12 hours

The average fasting hours in the above cities are just shy of 11 to 12 hours.