There are 49 working days left in 2026 in Australia, from today (Thursday 22 October 2026) to 31 December, counting both days and excluding the national public holidays. Australia has 254 working days in 2026 and 253 in 2027.
Limitation: this calculator uses Australia’s national public holidays: the days off in at least five of the eight states and territories. State-only holidays such as Labour Day, Melbourne Cup Day or the Queensland King’s Birthday are not included, so your state can have one or two fewer working days in some months.
How the count works: Saturday and Sunday are never working days. Between two dates, both dates are counted by default, which is the same as Excel’s NETWORKDAYS (see working days in Excel); untick a box to leave a date out. When you add working days, the start date is day 0, so 10 working days after a Monday with no holidays is the Monday two weeks later. For the United States and other countries, use the main business days calculator.
Australian national public holidays 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday | New Year's Day | ||
| Monday | Australia Day | ||
| Friday | Good Friday | ||
| Saturday | Easter Saturday | ||
| Sunday | Easter Sunday | ||
| Monday | Easter Monday | ||
| Saturday | ANZAC Day | ||
| Monday | King's Birthday | ||
| Friday | Christmas Day | ||
| Monday | Boxing Day (observed) | Observed; the holiday falls on Saturday 26 December |
Australian national public holidays 2027
| Date | Day | Holiday | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday | New Year's Day | ||
| Tuesday | Australia Day | ||
| Friday | Good Friday | ||
| Saturday | Easter Saturday | ||
| Sunday | Easter Sunday | ||
| Monday | Easter Monday | ||
| Monday | ANZAC Day (observed) | Observed; the holiday falls on Sunday 25 April | |
| Monday | King's Birthday | ||
| Monday | Christmas Day (observed) | Observed; the holiday falls on Saturday 25 December | |
| Tuesday | Boxing Day (observed) | Observed; the holiday falls on Sunday 26 December |
Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday appear in the lists because most states declare them, but they fall on a weekend, so they don’t change a Monday-to-Friday count. When a holiday falls on a weekend, the lists show the substitute weekday that most states give instead (for example, Boxing Day observed on Monday).
What the calculator does not include: state public holidays
Each state and territory sets its own public holidays, and only some of them are shared nationally. This calculator counts a day as a holiday only when at least five of the eight states and territories have it off. Days it treats as normal working days include:
- Labour Day, held on different Mondays in each state (March in Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia; May in Queensland and the Northern Territory; October in New South Wales, the ACT and South Australia).
- King’s Birthday in Queensland and Western Australia, which fall in the second half of the year instead of June. The June King’s Birthday is included, because most states have it.
- State and regional days such as Melbourne Cup Day (Victoria), Western Australia Day, Canberra Day, Adelaide Cup Day, the Royal Queensland Show (Brisbane) and Picnic Day (NT).
- Different substitute days. When Anzac Day or Australia Day falls on a weekend, not every state gives a Monday off.
If your state has a holiday in the range, subtract one working day for each such weekday holiday. For the official list, check your state or territory government’s public holidays page, or the Fair Work Ombudsman’s public holiday list, which links to each state.
Working days per month in Australia, 2026
| Month | Weekdays | Holidays on weekdays | Business days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22 | 2 | 20 |
| February | 20 | 0 | 20 |
| March | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| April | 22 | 2 | 20 |
| May | 21 | 0 | 21 |
| June | 22 | 1 | 21 |
| July | 23 | 0 | 23 |
| August | 21 | 0 | 21 |
| September | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| October | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| November | 21 | 0 | 21 |
| December | 23 | 2 | 21 |
| Total | 261 | 7 | 254 |
Business days vs working days in Australia
In Australia the two terms mean the same thing: Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays. “Business day” is the usual word in contracts, banking and legislation; “working day” is more common at work and in HR. Many Australian laws and contracts define a business day as a day that is not a weekend or a public holiday in the place concerned, which is why state holidays matter for exact legal deadlines. For more on what counts as a business day, see what is a business day?
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate working days between two dates in Australia?
Enter the start and end date in the calculator above. It counts Monday to Friday and leaves out the national public holidays; both dates are counted unless you untick them. Subtract any state-only holidays in your state that fall on a weekday in the range.
Does the calculator include NSW, Victoria or Queensland public holidays?
It includes the holidays those states share with most of the country, such as Australia Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Anzac Day, Christmas and Boxing Day. It does not include holidays that only one or a few states have, such as Labour Day, Melbourne Cup Day or the Queensland King’s Birthday.
Is Saturday a business day in Australia?
No. Business days in Australia are Monday to Friday. Some shops and banks open on Saturdays, but Saturday is not a business day for deadlines, contracts or payment processing.
How many working days are in a year in Australia?
Between 252 and 254 each year from 2025 to 2030, counting only the national public holidays; the number depends on how many holidays fall on a weekend. In 2026 there are 254. State-only holidays such as Labour Day take your state’s total lower. Totals for every year sit next to the US, UK and Canada in how many working days are in a year.
Sources (last checked 21 October 2026): Fair Work Ombudsman: public holidays and the state and territory government holiday lists it links to. National holidays are the days observed in at least five of the eight states and territories; see our methodology.