How Many Public Holidays Do Countries Get in 2027? A Country-by-Country Comparison
The number of public holidays you get depends heavily on where you live. In 2027, Canada guarantees just 5 nationwide holidays, the United States has 11 federal holidays, England has 8 bank holidays, and Sri Lanka has around 26. But the headline numbers hide a lot: many countries add regional holidays, and some count days differently.
Key facts
- The worldwide middle is about 12 nationwide public holidays a year, based on our analysis of holiday data for 207 countries and territories.
- Among large countries, Japan (16), Russia (14) and China (13) are near the top.
- Canada (5 nationwide) and India (3 national holidays) are near the bottom, but both add many regional or gazetted days.
- New Year’s Day is the most widely shared holiday on Earth: 196 of 207 countries and territories in our data give January 1 off.
Public holidays by country in 2027
We counted the nationwide statutory holidays each country sets for 2027: days off that apply across the whole country by law. Regional days, optional days and Sundays are listed in the notes, not in the count.
| Country | Nationwide holidays 2027 | What else to know |
|---|---|---|
| Sri Lanka | about 26 | Includes a full-moon Poya day every month, plus Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and Christian festivals |
| Japan | 16 | A holiday on a Sunday moves to the next weekday |
| Russia | 14 | Includes the New Year break from January 1 to 8 |
| China | 13 | Raised from 11 to 13 days in 2025. Weekends are often swapped to make longer breaks |
| Italy | 12 | Plus Easter Sunday. October 4 (St Francis) became a national holiday again in 2026 |
| South Africa | 12 | A holiday on a Sunday moves to Monday |
| United States | 11 | Federal holidays. States and employers add their own |
| France | 11 | Alsace and Moselle add 2 more |
| New Zealand | 11 | Plus one regional anniversary day |
| Brazil | 10 | States and cities add their own |
| Ireland | 10 | St Brigid’s Day was added in 2023 |
| Germany | 9 | Each state adds up to 4 more |
| United Kingdom | 8 in England and Wales | 9 in Scotland, 10 in Northern Ireland |
| Mexico | 7 | Statutory days off under federal labour law |
| Australia | 7 | States and territories add 3 to 6 more |
| Canada | 5 | Provinces add 1 to 6 more. See Canada by province |
| India | 3 | Republic Day, Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti. Central government offices close on 14 compulsory holidays in total |
Why some countries have so many holidays
Many calendars, many holidays
Countries with several major religions often recognise festivals from each of them. Sri Lanka marks Buddhist full-moon (Poya) days every month, as well as Hindu, Muslim and Christian festivals. Iran’s year includes both Islamic holidays, which follow the lunar calendar, and the four-day Persian New Year, Nowruz.
Moving holidays to make long weekends
Some countries move holidays to Mondays so workers get long weekends. China goes further: the government often makes people work on a weekend day so that holidays like the Spring Festival and National Day become week-long breaks. That’s why a simple count of holidays doesn’t capture how much time off people actually get.
Why Canada, India and Australia look low
Federal countries often leave holidays to provinces or states. Canada only has five holidays that apply in every province. Most Canadians actually get between 8 and 11, depending on the province. Australia has seven national days, and each state adds its own. In India, only three days are national holidays by law. Central government offices close on 14 compulsory holidays in total, including those three, and states add many of their own.
Where you work matters too. Federally regulated employers in Canada, such as banks and airlines, follow the Canada Labour Code, which has 10 general holidays.
The most common holidays around the world
Across the 207 countries and territories in our holiday data, these are the days that the most places give off nationwide in 2027:
- January 1, New Year’s Day: 196
- December 25, Christmas Day: 181 (a handful of these mark a different holiday on that date)
- May 1, Labour Day: 154
- March 26, Good Friday: 114
See the full ranking in our article on the world’s most common public holidays.
How we got these numbers
For the 17 countries in the table, we counted the holidays set in each country’s labour law or official holiday list for 2027, and checked them against government sources. We counted each holiday once, even if a substitute day is added when it falls on a weekend. Holidays that last several days, like Russia’s New Year break, count as the number of days off.
For the worldwide figures, we analysed the holiday data behind our public holidays pages, which covers 207 countries and territories. That data comes from the open-source date-holidays project. It is a useful global picture, but for some countries it lists holidays that only apply to certain religious communities, or misses extra days that governments announce each year. That’s why we don’t publish a full 207-country ranking.
Frequently asked questions
Which country has the most public holidays?
Countries with many religious and national festivals have the most. Sri Lanka has around 26 public holidays a year, and Iran a similar number. Nepal and Cambodia are also often cited among the highest.
How many federal holidays are there in the US in 2027?
There are 11. Juneteenth, Independence Day and Christmas fall on a weekend in 2027 and are observed on a nearby weekday, and New Year’s Day 2028 is observed on Friday, December 31, 2027. See the full list on our US holidays 2027 page.
Why does Canada have so few national holidays?
Most holidays in Canada are set by each province. Only New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Canada Day, Labour Day and Christmas Day apply everywhere. Provinces add between one and six more.
Do public holidays on a weekend move to a weekday?
It depends on the country. The UK, the US, Australia, New Zealand and Canada usually move them. Most of continental Europe does not. In 2027, Christmas Day falls on a Saturday. Here’s who gets a day back.
Find every holiday for your country on our public holidays pages, or print a 2027 calendar.
