Is it a leap year?

A leap year has 366 days instead of 365. Enter a year and this tool tells you whether it qualifies, shows each step of the rule, and lists the leap years either side.

Any year from 1 to 4000. The Gregorian rule is applied throughout.

Result

2026 is not a leap year. It has 365 days and no 29 February.

Days in the year
365
Divisible by 4
No
Divisible by 100
No
Divisible by 400
No
Next leap years
2028, 2032, 2036, 2040, 2044
Previous leap years
2024, 2020, 2016
Leap day in history
What happened on 29 February

How it is calculated

  • A year is a leap year if it divides by 4.
  • Except that a year divisible by 100 is not a leap year.
  • Unless it also divides by 400, in which case it is. That is why 1900 was not a leap year but 2000 was.
  • The rule keeps the calendar aligned with the solar year of about 365.2422 days, drifting by roughly one day every 3,200 years.

Where this is used in the real world

  • Software and spreadsheets: date arithmetic that must not break on 29 February.
  • Payroll and interest: a 366-day year changes daily rates in some finance conventions.
  • Birthdays: people born on 29 February have a legal birthday that differs by country.
  • Planning: sports and events on four-year cycles, such as the Olympic Games.

Good to know

  • These rules are Gregorian. Under the older Julian calendar every fourth year was a leap year with no century exception, which is why the two calendars drifted apart.
  • The 400-year rule matters rarely: 1700, 1800 and 1900 were common years while 2000 was a leap year and 2100 will not be.

Questions people ask

When is the next leap year?

The result lists the next five leap years from the year you entered, so you can see the pattern including century exceptions.

Why was 1900 not a leap year?

It divides by 100 but not by 400, so the century exception applies. The year 2000 divides by 400 and was a leap year.

What happens to birthdays on 29 February?

In common years most people celebrate on 28 February or 1 March. Legal definitions vary: some jurisdictions treat 1 March as the legal birthday, others 28 February.