Inclusive J/ψ production is studied in Xe–Xe interactions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of s_NN=5.44 TeV, using the ALICE detector at the CERN LHC. The J/ψ meson is reconstructed via its decay into a muon pair, in the centre-of-mass rapidity interval 2.5<y<4 and down to zero transverse momentum. In this Letter, the nuclear modification factors R_AA for inclusive J/ψ measured in the centrality range 0–90% as well as in the centrality intervals 0–20% and 20–90% are presented. The R_AA values are compared to previously published results for Pb–Pb collisions at s_NN=5.02 TeV and to the calculation of a transport model. A good agreement is found between Xe–Xe and Pb–Pb results as well as between data and the model.