Al-Kharaj: Jurnal Ekonomi, Keuangan & Bisnis Syariah
Vol. 8 No. 2 (2026): Al-Kharaj: Jurnal Ekonomi, Keuangan & Bisnis Syariah

Muslim Household Debt Behavior in Urban Indonesia Descriptive Evidence from the City of Depok

Nasiha Sakina Ramadhanikar (Universitas Ibnu Khaldun)



Article Info

Publish Date
01 Feb 2026

Abstract

Debt Acquisition is an unavoidable of household financial life. In Islamic teachings, debt is permissible but should be treated as a last resort, undertaken only after careful consideration of priority needs. Islamic economic principles emphasize that needs should be directed toward achieving the objectives of aqashid al-sharia, which are hierarchically classified into essential (dharuriyyat), complementary (hajiyyat), and luxury (tahsiniyat) needs. Understanding how these principles are reflected in actual household debt behavior is therefore important. This study aims to describe patterns of debt among Muslim households in the City of Depok, Indonesia. Using primary survey data collected in 2022, the study applies quantitative descriptive analysis to examine household debt behavior. The analysis focuses on the purposes of debt and the types of needs that household debt behavior is intended to fulfill, without testing causal relationship. The results indicate that debt patterns of Muslim household in the city of Depok generally reflect prudent financial behavior. Most borrowing is undertaken to meet essential (dharuriyyat) needs, particularly for first home, education expenses, first vehicle ownership, and the fulfillment of basic household necessities. These findings suggest that household debt in this urban Muslim context is predominantly necessity-driven rather than consumption-oriented. This study provides baseline empirical evidence on Muslim household debt behavior and contributes to the literature on Islamic household finance by offering a descriptive snapshot that can support future explanatory and comparative research

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Journal Info

Abbrev

alkharaj

Publisher

Subject

Agriculture, Biological Sciences & Forestry Decision Sciences, Operations Research & Management Economics, Econometrics & Finance Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering Social Sciences

Description

Al-Kharaj: Jurnal Ekonomi, Keuangan & Bisnis Syariah is a scientific journal published by Pusat Riset dan Kebijakan Strategis PRKS) of  Institut Agama Islam Nasional (IAI-N) Laa Roiba Bogor in collaboration with Masyarakat Ekonomi Syariah (MES) and Intelectual Association for Islamic Studies ...