Planning annual leave, project timelines, or payroll for 2026? A single · “working days per year · ” number is too blunt. Different UK nations have different bank holidays. A month with two bank holidays (like May) has fewer working days than a month with none (like June). Here is what to expect in 2026, month by month.
Key takeaways
- England & Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland each observe slightly different bank holiday sets.
- Substitute bank holidays can shift the observed date when a holiday falls on a weekend.
- Month-by-month totals are more useful for planning than a single annual number.
- Use a calculator for specific date ranges — totals vary by which weekdays the holidays land on.
Why the number changes
The number of working days in a year depends on how weekends fall and which bank holidays apply. UK nations can also have different public holidays, so the exact count may vary by location.
What to include
- Monday to Friday weekdays
- UK bank holidays that apply to your location
- Company shutdown days, if relevant
- Part-time working patterns, if relevant
Planning uses
A yearly working day count can help with capacity planning, payroll checks, annual leave planning, project timelines, and service-level estimates.
For individual date ranges, a date calculator is usually more useful than a single annual total because it can show exactly which dates are counted.
Useful official resources
These sources are directly relevant to the date, public holiday, delivery, SLA, or complaint-handling topic covered in this article.
Estimated working days by month (England & Wales, 2026)
These counts exclude weekends and bank holidays for England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland totals may differ by 1 — 3 days.
| Month | Working days | Bank holidays this month |
|---|---|---|
| January | 21 | New Year's Day (Thu 1st) |
| February | 20 | None |
| March | 22 | None (St Patrick's Day in NI only) |
| April | 20 | Good Friday (3rd), Easter Monday (6th) |
| May | 19 | Early May (4th), Spring (25th) |
| June | 22 | None |
| July | 22 | None (Battle of the Boyne in NI only) |
| August | 20 | Summer bank holiday (31st) |
| September | 22 | None |
| October | 22 | None |
| November | 21 | None (St Andrew's Day in Scotland only) |
| December | 21 | Christmas Day (25th Fri), Boxing Day sub (28th Mon) |
Approximate total for England & Wales: 252 working days. Scotland and Northern Ireland differ by 1 — 3 days due to their additional or different bank holidays. Always verify against the official GOV.UK list for your specific nation and year.
Choose the UK option in bizdaycalc to check specific 2026 date ranges.
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