There are 253 working days in 2026 in England and Wales, 251 in Scotland and 251 in Northern Ireland. In 2027 there are 253, 252 and 251. Working days are Monday to Friday, minus bank holidays. The next England and Wales holiday is Christmas Day on , 64 days from today.
The UK has no single working-day count, because England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland each have their own bank holidays. The figures above take every weekday in the year and remove the bank holidays (including substitute days) published on gov.uk. They are the maximum days a full-time employee could work before annual leave.
How many working days in a year in the UK? By nation
| Nation | Working days in 2026 | Working days in 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 253 | 253 |
| Scotland | 251 | 252 |
| Northern Ireland | 251 | 251 |
The formula is simple: weekdays in the year − bank holidays that fall on a weekday = working days. Most years have 260 or 261 weekdays. England and Wales usually have 8 bank holidays, Scotland 9 and Northern Ireland 10. Scotland’s 2026 total is one lower than usual because of the one-off World Cup bank holiday on 15 June 2026, which gov.uk lists for Scotland only.
For other countries and the US, see how many business days are in a year. To count the working days between any two dates, or add working days to a date, use the UK working days calculator and choose your nation.
Working days per month in 2027: England and Wales
May is usually the shortest working month in England and Wales, because it has two bank holidays (the early May and spring bank holidays). December loses two days to Christmas and Boxing Day, or to their substitute days when they fall at a weekend.
| Month | Weekdays | Holidays on weekdays | Working days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21 | 1 | 20 |
| February | 20 | 0 | 20 |
| March | 23 | 2 | 21 |
| April | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| May | 21 | 2 | 19 |
| June | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| July | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| August | 22 | 1 | 21 |
| September | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| October | 21 | 0 | 21 |
| November | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| December | 23 | 2 | 21 |
| Total | 261 | 8 | 253 |
Working days per month in 2026: England and Wales
| Month | Weekdays | Holidays on weekdays | Working days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22 | 1 | 21 |
| February | 20 | 0 | 20 |
| March | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| April | 22 | 2 | 20 |
| May | 21 | 2 | 19 |
| June | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| July | 23 | 0 | 23 |
| August | 21 | 1 | 20 |
| September | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| October | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| November | 21 | 0 | 21 |
| December | 23 | 2 | 21 |
| Total | 261 | 8 | 253 |
Working days are weekdays that are not bank holidays. The average is about 21 working days a month.
UK bank holidays that reduce the count
These are the bank holidays removed for England and Wales in 2027. Scotland adds 2 January and St Andrew’s Day (30 November), drops Easter Monday and moves the summer bank holiday to the first Monday in August. Northern Ireland adds St Patrick’s Day (17 March) and the Battle of the Boyne (12 July). All dates for the three nations are on our UK bank holidays list. The next Scotland holiday is St Andrew's Day on , 39 days from today. The next Northern Ireland holiday is Christmas Day on , 64 days from today.
| Date | Day | Holiday | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday | New Year's Day | ||
| Friday | Good Friday | ||
| Monday | Easter Monday | ||
| Monday | Early May bank holiday | ||
| Monday | Spring bank holiday | ||
| Monday | Summer bank holiday | ||
| Monday | Christmas Day (substitute day) | Observed; the holiday falls on Saturday 25 December | |
| Tuesday | Boxing Day (substitute day) | Observed; the holiday falls on Sunday 26 December |
How many working hours in a year in the UK?
Multiply the working days by your contracted hours per day. England and Wales have 253 working days in both 2026 and 2027, which gives:
| Hours per day (hours per week) | Working hours in 2026 and 2027, England and Wales (253 days) |
|---|---|
| 7 hours (35 a week) | 253 × 7 = 1,771 hours |
| 7.5 hours (37.5 a week) | 253 × 7.5 = 1,897.5 hours |
| 8 hours (40 a week) | 253 × 8 = 2,024 hours |
Assumptions: a Monday-to-Friday week, the same hours every day, no overtime, and no annual leave taken. Bank holidays are already removed. For Scotland or Northern Ireland, use that nation’s day count from the table above.
Working days after annual leave
Almost all workers in the UK are legally entitled to 5.6 weeks’ paid holiday a year. For someone working 5 days a week, that is 28 days, and statutory paid holiday is capped at 28 days. An employer can choose to count bank holidays as part of those 28 days (source: gov.uk holiday entitlement).
For a full-time worker in England and Wales with 253 working days (2026 and 2027):
- Statutory minimum, bank holidays included in the 28 days: 8 of the 28 days are the bank holidays already removed, so 20 more days off leaves 253 − 20 = 233 days worked (1,747.5 hours at 7.5 hours a day).
- 28 days plus bank holidays: 253 − 28 = 225 days worked (1,687.5 hours at 7.5 hours a day).
- 25 days plus bank holidays (a contract above the minimum): 253 − 25 = 228 days worked (1,710 hours at 7.5 hours a day).
These figures ignore sickness and other absence. Your contract sets your actual leave; check it, or use the gov.uk holiday entitlement calculator.
Part-time working days
Part-time workers with regular hours get 5.6 weeks of leave pro rata. Someone working 3 days a week is entitled to at least 3 × 5.6 = 16.8 days a year. Their working days in a year depend on which days they work: most bank holidays fall on a Monday, so a Tuesday-to-Thursday worker loses fewer working days to them than a Monday worker. Many employers therefore pro-rate bank holidays too. To count a part-time pattern, use the calculator with the days you work.
Frequently asked questions
How many working days are there in a year in the UK?
In 2026, 253 in England and Wales, 251 in Scotland and 251 in Northern Ireland. The number is weekdays minus bank holidays, so it changes slightly each year.
How many working days are there in 2027 in the UK?
253 in England and Wales, 252 in Scotland and 251 in Northern Ireland. The month-by-month table is above.
Do 260 working days include bank holidays?
Yes. 260 (or 261) is the number of weekdays in a year, before bank holidays are taken off. After the 8 bank holidays in England and Wales, about 252 or 253 working days remain.
How many working hours are there in a year in the UK?
At 7.5 hours a day, 253 working days (England and Wales, 2026 and 2027) give 1,897.5 hours before annual leave. At 8 hours a day it is 2,024 hours.
How many working days are in a month in the UK?
Between 18 and 23, about 21 on average. In England and Wales, May or a month with Easter usually has the fewest, because each loses two days to bank holidays.
Bank holiday dates come from gov.uk and are checked through 2028; later years are expected dates. See how we count working days.
