diff --git a/lang/python/python-babel/Makefile b/lang/python/python-babel/Makefile
index 7f53b272bd..8bbeafd120 100644
--- a/lang/python/python-babel/Makefile
+++ b/lang/python/python-babel/Makefile
@@ -8,11 +8,11 @@
 include $(TOPDIR)/rules.mk
 
 PKG_NAME:=python-babel
-PKG_VERSION:=2.17.0
-PKG_RELEASE:=3
+PKG_VERSION:=2.18.0
+PKG_RELEASE:=1
 
 PYPI_NAME:=babel
-PKG_HASH:=0c54cffb19f690cdcc52a3b50bcbf71e07a808d1c80d549f2459b9d2cf0afb9d
+PKG_HASH:=b80b99a14bd085fcacfa15c9165f651fbb3406e66cc603abf11c5750937c992d
 
 PKG_MAINTAINER:=Josef Schlehofer <pepe.schlehofer@gmail.com>
 PKG_LICENSE:=BSD-3-Clause
diff --git a/lang/python/python-babel/test.sh b/lang/python/python-babel/test.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..ac50672ba1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lang/python/python-babel/test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+[ "$1" = python3-babel ] || exit 0
+python3 - << 'EOF'
+import babel
+assert babel.__version__, "babel version is empty"
+
+from babel import Locale
+from babel.dates import format_date, format_datetime
+from babel.numbers import format_number, format_currency
+import datetime
+
+locale = Locale.parse("en_US")
+assert locale.territory == "US"
+
+d = datetime.date(2024, 1, 15)
+formatted = format_date(d, locale="en_US")
+assert "2024" in formatted, f"date format missing year: {formatted}"
+
+n = format_number(1234567.89, locale="en_US")
+assert "1,234,567" in n, f"number format unexpected: {n}"
+
+c = format_currency(9.99, "USD", locale="en_US")
+assert "$" in c or "USD" in c, f"currency format unexpected: {c}"
+EOF