Your Hijri age is higher than your Gregorian age because a Hijri (lunar) year has 354 or 355 days, while a Gregorian (solar) year has 365 or 366. That is about 11 days less per year, and the difference adds up to a full extra year roughly every 33 years. Here is the math, a gap table for every age, and real examples.
The short answer: Hijri years are shorter
Your age is the time since you were born. The number of days you have lived is the same in any calendar; only the way those days are grouped into years differs.
| Hijri | Gregorian | |
|---|---|---|
| Based on | The moon | The sun |
| Year length | 354 or 355 days | 365 or 366 days |
| Average year | 354.37 days | 365.24 days |
| Month length | 29 or 30 days | 28 to 31 days |
11,000 days, for example, is about 30.1 Gregorian years but about 31 Hijri years.
How much higher is the Hijri age?
A Gregorian year is about 1.0307 Hijri years long. In practice:
- Your Hijri age is about 3% higher.
- It gains roughly 11 days on your Gregorian age every year.
- The gap reaches one full year about every 32.6 years.
Quick estimate: Hijri age ≈ Gregorian age × 1.03. A 40-year-old is about 41 years and 2 months old in Hijri terms.
Hijri vs Gregorian age: gap table
| Gregorian age | Approx. Hijri age | Gap |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 1 year, 11 days | 11 days |
| 5 years | 5 years, 1 month, 25 days | ~2 months |
| 10 years | 10 years, 3 months | 3 months |
| 18 years | 18 years, 6 months | 6 months |
| 20 years | 20 years, 7 months | 7 months |
| 25 years | 25 years, 9 months | 9 months |
| 30 years | 30 years, 11 months | 11 months |
| 33 years | 34 years | 1 year |
| 40 years | 41 years, 2 months | 1 year, 2 months |
| 50 years | 51 years, 6 months | 1.5 years |
| 60 years | 61 years, 10 months | 1 year, 10 months |
| 70 years | 72 years, 1 month | ~2 years |
| 80 years | 82 years, 5 months | 2 years, 5 months |
Worked examples with real birth dates
Ages on 22 October 2026, calculated with our age calculator (Umm al-Qura):
| Born | Gregorian age | Hijri age |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2026 | 9 months, 21 days | 9 months, 29 days |
| 15 March 2008 | 18 years, 7 months | 19 years, 2 months |
| 1 January 1990 | 36 years, 9 months | 37 years, 11 months |
| 1 July 1960 | 66 years, 3 months | 68 years, 4 months |
The second person has not turned 19 in Gregorian years yet but did so in Hijri years months ago. Whenever a rule depends on a minimum age, check which calendar it uses.
Which age counts in Saudi Arabia?
Both. Saudi Arabia uses the Gregorian calendar for many government periods and salaries, and the Hijri (Umm al-Qura) calendar for matters tied to Islamic rulings and some regulations. There is no single answer for every case: the authority you are dealing with decides. The Hijri age calculator shows both ages side by side so you are covered either way.
Which one is more accurate?
Both are exact if calculated correctly; they are two units for the same span of time, like kilometres and miles. Errors come from the method, for example assuming every Hijri month has 30 days. We walk through the correct method in how to calculate your Hijri age by hand.
Sources
Dates and rules on this page are checked against:
- Islamic calendar · WikipediaHijri months and the length of the lunar year
- Gregorian calendar · WikipediaMonth lengths and the leap year rule
- Official Umm al-Qura Calendar · Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaThe official table of Hijri month starts
Frequently asked questions
Is my Hijri age always higher than my Gregorian age?
Yes. A Hijri year is shorter, so the same lifetime contains more Hijri years. For young children the full years may match, but the months and days are already higher.
How much older am I in Hijri years?
About 3% older: roughly 11 extra days for every year, adding up to one full year every 32 to 33 years.
Is age calculated in Hijri or Gregorian in Saudi Arabia?
Both calendars are used, and the authority handling your case decides. Many government periods and salaries now use Gregorian dates, while matters tied to Islamic rulings use Hijri.
What is 30 years in Hijri?
Thirty Gregorian years equal about 30 years and 11 months in the Hijri calendar.
Can I reach an age in Hijri before Gregorian?
Yes. Someone born on 15 March 2008 was 18 in Gregorian years on 22 October 2026, but had already turned 19 in Hijri years.