JAKARTA, thekabarnews.com—Indonesia’s factual average Hajj waiting period has fallen to 14 years. This comes after the Hajj and Umrah Ministry validated 5.7 million prospective-pilgrim records. The ministry also identified about 400,000 invalid entries, Deputy Minister Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak said.

Dahnil announced the revised figure after he and Hajj and Umrah Minister Mochamad Irfan Yusuf met President Prabowo Subianto at the Presidential Palace Complex. The meeting took place in Jakarta on Monday, September 28.

“The Minister, I, and the entire team at the Hajj Ministry cleaned up and validated the existing 5.7 million Hajj pilgrim records, and we found 400,000 invalid entries,” Dahnil said, according to an official Cabinet Secretariat statement.

The ministry did not provide a full public breakdown of why each record was classified as invalid.

Officials had previously explained that they intended data verification to produce a more accurate picture. It would show the number of people actively waiting to perform the pilgrimage.

Indonesia’s longest estimated Hajj waiting period previously reached 49 years. The government later revised its calculation formula, bringing the national administrative average down to 26 years.

President Prabowo considered that period too long and instructed the ministry to improve its formula and clean up the database.

“After we calculated it factually, pilgrims departing this year had waited an average of only 14 years,” Dahnil said.

“So, from 49 years to 26 years, the factual Hajj waiting period is now 14 years.”

The figure represents a national factual average cited by the ministry. However, it should not be interpreted as a guaranteed departure date for every new applicant.

This is because individual waiting times may still depend on regional allocations and annual quotas. In addition, a pilgrim’s position in the queue can affect their waiting time.

The ministry said it would continue updating its records to give prospective pilgrims more accurate waiting-time information. This would also provide greater certainty over their departure schedules.

The government is also preparing a forensic audit of Hajj financial governance. Prabowo directed the ministry to coordinate with the Finance and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP). This agency will assess the condition of funds managed by the Hajj Financial Management Agency (BPKH).

The planned audit aims to establish the financial position of Hajj funds and identify areas requiring improvement. In addition, officials also want the review to detect risks of financial manipulation. The announcement itself does not establish that misconduct occurred.

BPKH said it was ready to provide the documents and information required by authorized auditors.

Its executive head, Fadlul Imansyah, said examinations were necessary to ensure that Hajj funds remained transparent, accountable and compliant with Islamic principles, according to the BPKH’s official statement.

The database cleanup and planned audit form part of a wider government effort to improve Hajj administration. Their practical impact will depend on continued data verification, clear regional calculations and transparent financial oversight.