A standard year has 52 Sundays, but some years have 53 Sundays. The extra Sunday appears when a regular (365-day) year starts on a Sunday, or when a leap year (366 days) starts on a Saturday or Sunday. The next 53-Sunday year is 2028. 2026 has 52 Sundays.
How Many Sundays Are in a Year?
Every calendar year has either 52 or 53 Sundays, never fewer and never more. About 17.75% of years (71 out of every 400) have 53, and the long-run average is 52.18 Sundays per year.
| Year type | Days | Jan 1 falls on… | Sundays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular year | 365 | Sunday | 53 |
| Regular year | 365 | Monday to Saturday | 52 |
| Leap year | 366 | Saturday or Sunday | 53 |
| Leap year | 366 | Monday to Friday | 52 |
How to Calculate the Number of Sundays in a Year
- Start with 52. Every year has 52 full weeks, so every weekday occurs at least 52 times.
- Find the leftover days. A regular year is 52 weeks + 1 day (365 = 52 × 7 + 1). A leap year is 52 weeks + 2 days (366 = 52 × 7 + 2).
- Check whether Sunday is a leftover day. The extra day is the same weekday as January 1. In a leap year, the second extra day is the weekday after it.
- Add one if it is. If Sunday is one of the leftover days, the year has 53 Sundays.
Example: 2028 is a leap year starting on Saturday, so its two extra days are Saturday and Sunday. It therefore has 53 Saturdays and 53 Sundays.
How Many Sundays Are There in a Year? Years 2024–2032
| Year | Leap year? | Jan 1 | Sundays |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Yes | Monday | 52 |
| 2025 | No | Wednesday | 52 |
| 2026 | No | Thursday | 52 |
| 2027 | No | Friday | 52 |
| 2028 | Yes | Saturday | 53 |
| 2029 | No | Monday | 52 |
| 2030 | No | Tuesday | 52 |
| 2031 | No | Wednesday | 52 |
| 2032 | Yes | Thursday | 52 |
Click any year for the full list of Sunday dates. After 2028, the next years with 53 Sundays are 2034, 2040 and 2045.
FAQs
Are there always 52 Sundays in a year?
No. Every year has at least 52 Sundays, because it contains 52 full weeks. Some years have a 53rd.
How many Sundays are in a leap year?
A leap year has 52 Sundays if it starts on a Monday to Friday, and 53 if it starts on a Saturday or Sunday. 2028 is the next example.
What years have 53 Sundays?
Regular years that begin on a Sunday, and leap years that begin on a Saturday or Sunday. Recent and upcoming examples are 2023, 2028, 2034, 2040 and 2045.
How many Sundays are in 365 days?
A 365-day period has either 52 or 53 Sundays, depending on the weekday it starts on.
Can a year have 54 Sundays?
No. Even a 366-day year is only 52 weeks plus 2 days, so no weekday can occur more than 53 times.
How many Saturdays and Sundays are in a year?
Most years have 104 weekend days (52 Saturdays + 52 Sundays). Years with a 53rd Saturday or Sunday have 105, and a leap year starting on a Saturday (like 2028) has 106.
How many weekends are in a year?
Most years have 52 complete Saturday–Sunday weekends. A leap year that starts on a Saturday, such as 2028, has 53 complete weekends. In other 53-Sunday years, the extra Sunday stands alone.
Conclusion
A year always has 52 Sundays, and the 53rd appears only when the year’s extra day or days include a Sunday. Check the weekday of January 1 and whether it’s a leap year, and you can work out any year’s count in seconds. For exact dates, use the year pages linked above.