This shows the proportion of elderly Hajj pilgrims in 2023; the majority are under 75 years old.

Based on data from the Ministry of Religious Affairs' Integrated Hajj Computer and Information System (Siskohat) as of March 23, 2023, there are 66,943 elderly Hajj pilgrims who will be departing this year. This number accounts for approximately 30% of the total 221,000 Indonesian Hajj pilgrims in 2023.

The details show that 10,166 pilgrims are from the elderly priority quota, while 56,777 are from the regular quota.

The majority of elderly Hajj pilgrims are under 75 years old. A total of 45,796 pilgrims, or 68.4% of the total elderly pilgrims this year, are aged 65-74 years old.

The next largest age group is 75-84 years old, with 12,912 pilgrims (19.3% of the total elderly pilgrims).

There are 7,680 pilgrims aged 85-94 years old (11.5% of the total), while only 555 pilgrims are over 95 years old (0.8% of the total).

Priority quota allocation for elderly Hajj pilgrims is regulated by Law Number 8 of 2019 concerning the Organization of Hajj and Umrah Pilgrimages. According to this law, elderly Hajj pilgrims eligible for priority quotas must be at least 65 years old.

To accommodate pilgrims whose departures were postponed in 2020, 2021, and 2022, the age restrictions previously imposed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have been lifted. This means that Hajj pilgrims over 65 years old are allowed to depart this year.

As of the 15th day of the Indonesian Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, 21 pilgrims have died. Deputy Minister of Health Dante Saksono Harbuwono stated that this is the highest number of deaths in the last four years.

Several diseases have been identified among the deceased pilgrims, including heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and lung disease.

Last year, the number of deceased Hajj pilgrims by the end of the Hajj pilgrimage reached 89.

"Hopefully, this number will not increase further, and we will strive to maintain it to the best of our ability," said Dante, as quoted by Katadata.co.id on Wednesday (7/6/2023).

Medical personnel are on full alert due to the high temperatures in Saudi Arabia, reaching approximately 40 degrees Celsius. According to Dante, the temperature during the Wukuf in Arafah is expected to reach 50 degrees Celsius.

Temperatures in Medina range from 28-40 degrees Celsius, and in Mecca, from 30-41 degrees Celsius. With the increasing number of elderly pilgrims, pre-existing conditions among pilgrims, and extreme temperatures in Saudi Arabia, "the health risks to pilgrims will also increase," said Dante.