According to new findings, 62% of Indonesians plan their Ramadan spending much earlier, 58% are reducing impulse purchases, and 54% prioritizing “essentials, but with at least one reward”. The findings add that while economic pressures loom among households, moral clarity has become stronger.
The new insights come from “From Resilience to Revival,” the seventh edition of the Ramadan Whitepaper Series from Moonfolks and Havas Moonfolks. The white paper explores how consumers are spending more selectively, favoring brands that demonstrate empathy, transparency, and meaningful value. Trust has become the primary currency, and dignity is now a priority.
Building on the shift in how the Ramadan Bonus (THR) was allocated differently last year, the report finds that in 2026 consumers are taking charge, moving from overcoming shock to being more in control. This control comes with people “choosing with intention,” and includes major changes in spending behaviour.
“When the going gets tough, the tough get going,” said Anish Daryani, Founder and CEO, Moonfolks and President Director, Havas Moonfolks.
Consumers are spending more selectively, favoring brands that demonstrate empathy, transparency, and meaningful value. Trust has become the primary currency, and dignity is now a priority.
“That’s the story of Indonesians in Ramadan 2026. As a community, we’re exhausted with the trepidations of constant economic downturn and living paycheck to paycheck. Consumers are making choices and choosing wisely. Brands need to understand these insights to succeed.”
The whitepaper also outlines a playbook for what brands should internalize to maximize the Ramadan opportunity across FMCG, Automotive, Finance, Telecom, Beauty, Fashion, and Home and Furnishing categories.
“This is the 7th edition of our Ramadan Whitepaper Series, and it was the toughest to crack. Because when status quo looms long enough and people go past the feeling of hopelessness, to understand them you have to dig deeper,” said Elki Hendria, Chief Strategy and Digital Officer and Co-Founder, Moonfolks, who also co-authored the whitepaper,.
“None of the secondary data could give us answers, so we took on the challenge of speaking to consumers directly. And what we found was the journey of Indonesians, from ‘Resilience to Revival’”.
Summary of Findings
Moonfolks and Havas Moonfolks provided the following summary of the whitepaper findings.
The Season of Trust
The paper talks about how people intend spend more deliberately vs. impulsively, seeking bundled values and warranties on their purchase. “Ramadan has emerged to become a Trust season, not a Sales season.”
Giving is in, But With Purpose
The essence of sharing remains, but the intention is targeted at ‘Rebuilding’. Giving is no longer symbolic, it has become practical, local and accountable. Consumers expect transparency, traceability and visible outcomes for the donations they make. Small, frequent acts of giving feel more meaningful to the modern consumer than large one-off corporate gestures. Digital Zakat has increased threefold, while micro-donations have increased by 40%. Hence, brands must act as platforms for contribution, not ‘heroes’ of the story.
The Changing Significance of ‘Mudik’
Mudik is the practice of returning home for Lebaran. In Indonesia, it accounts for one of the largest annual human migrations in the world. Despite the ritual being followed for centuries, its significance has evolved over time.
In 2026, the underlying emotion behind Mudik is ‘Dignity’, which supersedes the comfort of the journey. People don’t see it as travel, but as restoration. It’s like people don’t want reach, but arrive. Which is where downpayments for automobiles (+7%), renting iPhones, outfits and gadgets (+25%), BNPL schemes and aggregating people for group discounts (+31%) are now in vogue. And brands that help people arrive will win emotional loyalty.
Value Being Redefined
Things that are cheap are no longer attractive. They need to be justified. Which means that Ramadan in 2026 is not anti-consumption, it is anti-waste. Indonesians are seeking emotional assurance from their purchase, coupled with future relevance. For brands to win, they need to frame promotions as smart decisions, not desperate temptations.
Community First
Trust has migrated from Celebrities to Communities. Netizens are seeking intimacy at scale. 40% of shoppers rely on social media, influencers and reviews. 61% netizens use the “send gift” feature to support their favorite creators. The goal isn’t virality, it is share-ability within trust circles. Brands must activate communities, enable sharing stories, and build credibility through relevance.
The Whitepaper also outlines a playbook for what winning brands ought to internalize to maximize the Ramadan opportunity across FMCG, Automotive, Finance, Telecom, Beauty, Fashion and Home and Furnishing categories.
Key Takeaways
- Revival is subtle, not loud
- Trust has replaced reach as the real currency
- Commerce now requires moral and emotional justification
In summary, the Cultural Codes for Ramadan 2026 in Indonesia gets consumers to:
- Rebuild: Faith becomes Infrastructure
- Reconnect: Mudik = Dignity
- Reimagine Value: Frome cheap to Justified
- Resonate: Community over Celebrity
Revival in 2026 is not about spending more. It’s about choosing better, said the whitepaper
You can download the whitepaper here.
Featured image by Muhammad Syahroyni.
