Hajj Attendance Plunges to 30-Year Low (Excluding Pandemic)

The annual Islamic pilgrimage to Hajj this year concluded with a surprising and significant dip in pilgrim numbers, marking the lowest attendance in 30 years when excluding the heavily restricted COVID-19 pandemic period. Figures released by the Saudi Hajj Ministry and the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) on Thursday, June 5, 2025, confirmed that a total of 1,673,230 Muslims performed the sacred rituals. This included 1,506,576 pilgrims who arrived from abroad through various air, land, and sea entry points, while 166,654 pilgrims were from within the Kingdom, comprising both Saudi citizens and residents. The statistics also revealed that 877,841 were male pilgrims, and 795,389 were female. The vast majority of international pilgrims, 1,435,017, arrived via airports, with 66,465 by land and 5,094 by sea.

Related: 62 Airlines Operate 3,314 Hajj Flights from 238 Global Destinations

This year’s tally represents a considerable decrease of almost 160,000 pilgrims compared to last year’s Hajj. It stands in stark contrast to the robust pre-pandemic attendance, when numbers would consistently push past the 2 million mark. Notably, the Hajj saw a record-breaking turnout in 2012, when more than 3.16 million Muslims participated, highlighting the scale of the current decline from those peak figures.

Saudi authorities have not yet offered an official explanation for the lower turnout. However, a combination of global economic pressures, evolving Hajj regulations, and the challenging weather conditions are widely considered to be primary contributing factors.

Related: Understanding Hajj 2025 – A Guide to Entry Rules, Permits, and Sanctions 

Key Factors Behind the Decline:

1. Global Economic Strain and Escalating Costs: Persistent inflation and economic crises around the world have significantly impacted the affordability of the Hajj. The overall cost of pilgrimage packages, encompassing flights, accommodation, and ground services, has surged. For many prospective pilgrims, particularly from lower-income nations, the rising expenses have made the spiritual journey increasingly out of reach. Reports indicate Hajj packages can range from approximately $3,000 for economy options to over $11,000 for premium tiers, depending on the country of origin and chosen amenities. The devaluation of local currencies against the US dollar (to which the Saudi Riyal is pegged) has further exacerbated these financial burdens for pilgrims coming from diverse regions.

2. Strict and Evolving Hajj Regulations: While aimed at enhancing pilgrim experience and management, recent changes in Hajj regulations and visa processes have introduced new complexities. For Hajj 2025, authorities implemented stricter entry rules:

   • Age Limit: Only pilgrims aged 12 and above were eligible to participate.
   • Single-Entry Visas: Citizens from 14 specific countries were subject to single-entry visas valid for only 30 days, becoming invalid upon departure from Saudi Arabia. This move aimed to prevent overcrowding from those using multiple-entry visas.
   • Mecca Entry Restrictions: From late April, only those with official Hajj visas, valid Mecca residency, or authorized personnel permits were allowed into Mecca, with tourist and business visa holders strictly prohibited during the Hajj season.
   • Umrah Permit Suspension: The issuance of new Umrah permits through the ‘Nusuk’ platform was temporarily suspended from April 29 to June 10, 2025, to manage crowd flow.
   • Nusuk Platform Reliance: The continued shift towards the official Nusuk portal for all international pilgrims for booking and application, while designed for efficiency, may present technological or logistical hurdles for some, especially in regions with less digital literacy.
   • Quota Management: Saudi Arabia allocates Hajj pilgrimage slots on a country-by-country basis. Some nations, like Pakistan, saw reductions in their private Hajj quotas, reportedly due to missed deadlines by private operators, underscoring the criticality of timely and compliant arrangements.

3. Challenging Weather Conditions: The Hajj season for 2025 coincided with the peak of Saudi Arabia’s sweltering summer, with temperatures often exceeding 40°C (104°F) and forecasts indicating potential highs of 50°C (122°F). While such extreme heat poses significant health risks and physical challenges, the Saudi Ministry of Health reported a remarkable 90% decrease in heat exhaustion cases among pilgrims this year compared to the previous Hajj. This significant reduction was attributed to proactive preventive interventions, intensified health awareness campaigns, and robust coordination across various government agencies. Authorities deployed thousands of misting fans, over 400 water cooling units, built cooled walkways (including a newly completed four-kilometer path to Arafat), and mobilized over 50,000 healthcare workers to ensure pilgrim safety. Pilgrims were also provided with smart wearable devices to monitor body temperature and heart rate.

Hajj Amidst the Pandemic and Beyond:

It’s crucial to contextualize the current figures with the recent past. The period between 2020 and 2022 saw a dramatically scaled-down pilgrimage due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Saudi Arabia sharply reduced the number of domestic and international pilgrims allowed to participate, prioritizing health and safety. The Hajj in 2023 was the first full-scale pilgrimage held without pandemic-related restrictions since the outbreak in 2020, making the 2025 figures even more surprising given the earlier expectations of a strong rebound to pre-pandemic levels.

Despite the fluctuating numbers and logistical complexities, the spiritual essence of Hajj remains undiminished. For Muslims worldwide, gathering in Saudi Arabia to unite in religious rituals and acts of worship fulfills one of the Five Pillars of Islam—a fundamental religious obligation for those who are physically and financially able. It represents the spiritual experience of a lifetime, offering a profound chance to seek God’s forgiveness and the erasure of past sins.

As the Hajj progressed on Thursday, pilgrims spent hours in fervent worship and contemplation on the rocky hill of Arafat. This site holds immense significance in Islam, being mentioned in the Quran and famously recognized as the place where the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) delivered his last sermon during his farewell Hajj. Following this spiritual zenith, pilgrims on Friday headed to the vast tent city of Mina to perform the symbolic stoning of the devil ritual, casting pebbles at designated pillars, continuing a timeless tradition of devotion and purification.