A standard year has 52 Sundays, and some years have 53 Sundays depending on which day the year starts or ends. If January 1st or December 31st falls on a Sunday, that year will include an extra (53rd) Sunday.
This quick guide explains why, how to calculate the number of Sundays in a year.
Understanding the Number of Sundays in a Year
Years with 53 Sundays:
- When January 1st is a Sunday
- In leap years (366 days), when January 1st is a Saturday or Sunday
Years with 52 Sundays:
- When January 1st falls on Monday through Saturday (in regular years)
- In leap years, when January 1st falls on Monday through Friday
FAQs
Are there always 52 Sundays in a year?
Yes. Every year has at least 52 Sundays because 52 full weeks exist in every calendar year.
How many Sundays are in a leap year
A leap year typically has 52 Sundays but can have 53 Sundays if January 1st or December 31st is a Sunday.
What years have 53 Sundays?
Any year where the first or last day lands on a Sunday. Checking a calendar quickly confirms it.
Can a year have 54 Sundays?
No, it’s mathematically impossible. Even leap years only have 366 days (52 weeks plus 2 days), which means the maximum is 53 occurrences of any day.
How many weekends are in a year?
There are always 52 complete weekends (Saturday-Sunday pairs) in a year. The 53rd occurrence of Saturday or Sunday, when it happens, doesn’t create an additional complete weekend—it’s a standalone day.
Conclusion
The number of Sundays in a year depends on whether the year is a leap year or not and which day of the week the year starts on.
Most years will have 52 Sundays, but some will have 53 Sundays if the extra day falls on a Sunday or if a leap year results in an additional Sunday. By checking the calendar of a specific year, you can easily determine how many Sundays it will have.
Number of Sundays in Different Years
Let’s examine the number of Sundays in specific years: