Nearly 2.5 Million Hajj Pilgrims in 2019

The total number of Hajj pilgrims from various countries fluctuated between 2010 and 2019. The number peaked at 3,161,573 in 2012, then decreased to 1,862,909 in 2016.

The number of Hajj pilgrims increased again over the following three years. In 2019, the number of Hajj pilgrims reached 2,489,406.

In 2020, the Saudi Arabian government only allowed a small number of domestic pilgrims to perform the Hajj. This was a consequence of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

This year, however, Hajj is permitted for foreign nationals from 11 countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Germany, France, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates. These eleven countries were allowed entry into Saudi Arabia because they were deemed capable of controlling the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

The Indonesian government decided not to send Hajj pilgrims in 2021. One of the considerations was the Indonesian government's responsibility to protect its citizens from the corona pandemic. Furthermore, there was no invitation from the Saudi Arabian authorities regarding the Hajj pilgrimage.