How Many Weekdays Are in a Year? 260, 261 or 262
A year has 260, 261 or 262 weekdays depending on how it starts. See the count for each year, why it varies, and how weekdays differ from working days.
A year has 261 weekdays most of the time. The full range is 260 to 262, and which one you get depends entirely on what weekday January 1 falls on.
Where the Numbers Come From
Fifty-two complete weeks contain 260 weekdays:
52 × 5 = 260
A common year has one day beyond those 52 weeks; a leap year has two. Each leftover day adds a weekday only if it lands Monday to Friday.
- 260 — every leftover day falls on the weekend
- 261 — one leftover day is a weekday
- 262 — both leftover days are weekdays (leap years only)
The Count Year by Year
| Year | Days | Weekdays |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 366 | 262 |
| 2025 | 365 | 261 |
| 2026 | 365 | 261 |
| 2027 | 365 | 261 |
| 2028 | 366 | 260 |
| 2029 | 365 | 261 |
| 2032 | 366 | 262 |
| 2033 | 365 | 260 |
Across 2000 to 2100: 62 years have 261 weekdays, 25 have 260, and 14 have 262.
Weekdays Are Not Working Days
This is the distinction that trips up most planning:
- A weekday is any Monday through Friday. It is a calendar fact.
- A working day subtracts public holidays, company closures and anything else your organisation does not work. It is an employment fact and varies by country, region and employer.
The US has around 11 federal holidays, most falling on weekdays, which brings a 261-weekday year down to roughly 250 working days. The UK has eight bank holidays in England and Wales. Neither number is universal even within one country.
To get a real figure for your situation, the [working days calculator](/tools/working-days) takes a holiday list you supply.
Why 2028 Only Has 260
2028 is a leap year beginning on a Saturday. Both leftover days — January 1 (Saturday) and January 2 (Sunday) — fall on the weekend, so neither adds a weekday. The same year has 106 weekend days, the maximum possible. The two facts are the same fact seen from opposite sides.
Checking Any Year
Find the weekday of January 1, add one to 260 if it is Monday through Friday, and in a leap year check January 2 the same way.