Three days before Eid al-Fitr 2025, the atmosphere at stations and terminals has changed. It's busier than usual, but not as busy as last year. The toll roads are busy, but not overly congested. The Merak-Bakauheni crossing is also less crowded than last year. There's no extraordinary congestion. All I can hear is a quiet voice in my head: "It's expensive to go hometown. Not enough money."
The government predicts the number of travelers returning home will only be 146.48 million, a sharp decrease from last year's 193.6 million. This 24 percent decline isn't just a number. It reflects a hurting economy.
Commission V of the House of Representatives (DPR) calls this decline evidence of the spread of frugal living—a frugal and efficient lifestyle. But, in reality, this isn't a lifestyle choice. It's a means of survival.
The economic pressure is felt most acutely on the shoulders of the younger generation, especially the so-called sandwich generation.
They must support both sides simultaneously: supporting their parents in the village and their own families in the city. They are generally aged 30 to 50. They are of productive age, but squeezed by their needs.
Income is insufficient. Saving is increasingly difficult. Personal dreams are postponed. Even basic needs sometimes have to be sacrificed. In a situation like this, going home for Eid is not only expensive—it's nearly impossible.
A Kompas Research and Development survey noted that 67 percent of respondents from 34 provinces fall into the sandwich generation category. BBC Indonesia stated that this is no longer a middle-class phenomenon. It's a cross-class issue.
Their financial burden is not just personal. It touches on the national interest. The demographic bonus could fail to be utilized if those of productive age are exhausted from supporting two generations.
Data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) states that in 2022, the dependency ratio reached 44.67 percent. By 2025, this figure is predicted to rise to 47.7 percent. This means that almost one in two people of productive age are bearing the burden of both parents and children.
Meanwhile, the relatively quiet homecoming has led to sluggish cash flow. This year, Eid al-Fitr money turnover is predicted to be only IDR 145 trillion, down from last year's IDR 165 trillion. The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) even estimates that the decline could reach IDR 20 trillion.
The retail sector is struggling. The Indonesian Shopping Center Management Association (APPBI)'s target of achieving Rp 36.2 trillion in revenue remains unclear. Entrepreneurs, as reported in various media outlets, are complaining. Eid shopping is unlike anything else.
Behind the massive discount posters, reality tells a different story. Some employees are missing holiday bonuses due to layoffs. Shops are closing early. Travel drivers, tailors, and seasonal vendors—all are missing out on their annual harvest season.
Transportation costs are soaring. Salaries remain the same. Many are losing their jobs. Achmad Nur Hidayat, an economist and public policy observer from UPN Veteran, as reported on his website, stated that the retail and manufacturing sectors are the main victims of mass layoffs.
Apindo data shows that between January and February 2025, the number of workers laid off reached 40,000. The highest number of layoffs occurred in West Java, Jakarta, and Tangerang, according to Apindo's Head of Manpower, Bob Azam.
Many people remain in the city, not because they want to, but because they cannot afford to return home.
Eid al-Fitr is still coming. But not everyone can welcome it with joy. Many choose to tighten their belts.
As reported by Kompas, many families no longer buy new clothes or pastries. They prefer to cook for themselves, celebrating in simplicity.
In the past, going to hometown was a form of gratitude. Now, simply staying in the city is considered sufficient.
For many, going to hometown is no longer a priority. Not because longing has disappeared, but because reality is harsher than expectations.
The sandwich generation, who once insisted on returning home despite debt, are now coming to their senses. They still send money. They still video call. But they know: going home has now become a luxury.
And this isn't the story of one or two people. It's the story of millions of Indonesians.
This year's Eid marks a bitter reality: going home is now a luxury. A tradition that was once irreplaceable has now fallen in the face of expensive tickets, thin wallets, layoffs, and never-ending holiday bonuses.
Is this the end of the homecoming tradition? Maybe not. But we have entered a new era. An era where going home is no longer about returning home, but about survival.
And here it is—the most honest story from Indonesia today.
Happy Eid al-Fitr 1446 H. Please accept our sincere apologies.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
