Public Holidays by Country in 2027: 13 Countries Compared
How many days off do you actually get in 2027? We counted the official public holidays in 13 English-speaking countries, using each government’s own list, and worked out how many of them land on a weekday. The answer ranges from 12 days off in the Philippines and New Zealand’s regions down to 4 so far in Nigeria, where the Eid dates have not been announced yet.
Key facts
- New Zealand (with an anniversary day) and the Philippines give the most weekday days off in 2027: 12.
- The US, British Columbia and India give 11.
- England and Wales gives 8, even though Christmas and Boxing Day both fall on a weekend; substitute days keep them.
- 2027 has 261 weekdays everywhere, so working days run from 249 to 257.
The 2027 comparison
“Public holidays” counts every holiday on the official list, including ones that fall on a weekend. “Weekday days off” is what matters for work: holidays and substitute days that fall Monday to Friday.
| Country or region | Public holidays | Weekday days off | Working days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philippines | 18 | 12 | 249 |
| United States (federal) | 11 | 11 | 250 |
| Canada: British Columbia | 11 | 11 | 250 |
| New Zealand (national) | 11 | 11 | 250 |
| India (Central Government, Delhi) | 17 | 11 | 250 |
| South Africa | 12 | 10 | 251 |
| Canada: Ontario | 9 | 9 | 252 |
| UK: Scotland | 9 | 9 | 252 |
| Australia: New South Wales | 11 | 9 | 252 |
| UK: England and Wales | 8 | 8 | 253 |
| Ireland | 10 | 8 | 253 |
| Singapore | 11 | 8 | 253 |
| Kenya | 10 | 8 | 253 |
| Jamaica | 10 | 8 | 253 |
| Nigeria | 8 | 4 | 257 |
Why the numbers differ
Some countries move a holiday to a weekday when it falls on a weekend, and some do not. In 2027, Christmas Day is a Saturday and Boxing Day a Sunday. The UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada’s employers give Monday and Tuesday off instead, so nobody loses the days. Ireland, India and the Philippines do not move them, which is why Ireland has 10 public holidays but only 8 weekday days off.
Countries also split their lists by region. Canada has 14 different lists (one per province or territory, plus one for federally regulated workplaces), Australia has 8 and the UK has 3. A worker in Nova Scotia gets only 6 statutory days off in 2027, while one in Yukon gets 11.
Holidays still to be announced
Some holidays follow the moon and are only fixed by the government shortly before the day. For 2027, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha have not yet been announced in Nigeria, Kenya or the Philippines, and Victoria’s AFL Grand Final Friday depends on the AFL fixture. We add each one as soon as it is declared, so these counts will rise slightly.
Count your own days off
Our public holiday pages list every holiday for each country and region, checked against the official source. The business days calculator skips the holidays for your region automatically.
Sources
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays
- Government of Canada: General holidays (federal)
- GOV.UK: UK bank holidays
- Citizens Information: Public holidays in Ireland
- NSW Government: Public holidays
- Employment New Zealand: Public holidays and anniversary dates
- South African Government: Public holidays
- Ministry of Manpower: Public holidays
- Department of Personnel and Training: holiday list for 2027 (O.M. of 16 July 2026)
- Presidential Communications Office: holiday proclamations
- Federal Ministry of Interior: public holiday declarations
- Kenya Law: Public Holidays Act (Cap. 110)
- Jamaica Information Service: Public holidays
- Counts: our own calculation from the official lists.
