how long do you fast for ramadan

Muslims fast every day in Ramadan from dawn until sunset , for the entire month, which is 29 or 30 days depending on the moon sighting.

How long is each day’s fast?

• Each fasting day starts just before dawn (after the pre-dawn meal called suhoor) and ends at sunset (with the meal called iftar).

• In most places, that means roughly 11–16 hours without food or drink, depending on the season and where you live.

• In 2026, many countries will see about 12–15 hours of fasting per day.

Think of it as a “sunrise to sunset” fast, repeated every day for about a lunar month.

How many days in total?

• Ramadan follows the Islamic lunar calendar, so the month is either 29 or 30 days long each year.

• Muslims who are able are expected to fast every one of those days in Ramadan.

• The exact number (29 vs 30) is decided by the sighting of the new crescent moon at the beginning and end of the month.

Who fasts and who is excused?

• Fasting is obligatory for healthy, adult Muslims.

• Those who are sick, traveling, elderly, pregnant, breastfeeding, or menstruating are exempt and may make up fasts later or give charity, depending on the situation.

• Children often practice shorter or occasional fasts as training, but they are not required to fast until they reach maturity.

Why the hours change by country

• The rule is simple: fast from true dawn to sunset where you are, so the length changes with latitude and season.

• Farther north or south, days can be very long or short, so fasting can range from about 11 hours to over 16 hours in some cities.

• In extreme polar regions with very long days, many Muslims follow the timetable of a nearby normal region or a standard like Mecca’s timings.

Forum-style takeaway and current context

• Around Ramadan 2026 (expected to start around February 18–19), discussions online often mention that daily fasts hover around 12–15 hours in many countries this year.

• People on forums frequently compare local fasting lengths, share suhoor and iftar tips, and talk about how the experience feels different in winter vs summer.

TL;DR: You fast every day in Ramadan from just before dawn until sunset (roughly 11–16 hours depending on where you live), for the whole month of 29 or 30 days.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.