Indonesian Muslims Favor Direct Donations: 95% Still Give Offline

Despite the rapid advancement of financial technology and the proliferation of digital donation platforms, the vast majority of Indonesian Muslims still prefer to channel their religious donations, including zakat, infak, and sedekah (Ziswaf), through traditional offline methods. This finding comes from the 2026 National Ziswaf Survey conducted by Indikator Politik Indonesia.

The survey, which involved 8,360 respondents from January 20 to February 5, 2026, revealed a striking preference for direct, in-person transactions. For infak and sedekah (charitable giving), a significant 95.9 percent of respondents who donated money reported never using online channels. This indicates a strong reliance on traditional methods for these acts of charity.

This trend extends to zakat mal, or wealth tax. Among those who paid zakat mal in cash, a substantial 93.6 percent did not utilize online platforms for the payment. Similarly, the practice of waqf, or Islamic endowment, also shows a low adoption of digital channels. Of the approximately 4.3 percent of Indonesians who made waqf in cash, nearly all (95.5 percent) did so offline, with only about 4.5 percent using online services.

While participation in infak and sedekah is high, with about 74.8 percent of Indonesian Muslims giving in the past month, the method of giving remains predominantly physical. The survey results underscore a deep-seated trust and comfort with direct, face-to-face charitable giving within the Indonesian Muslim community, even as digital financial services become more prevalent.

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Almost 96 percent said they do not use online methods.