Leap Year Calculator

Check whether a given year is a leap year, see the days it contains, and find the nearest past and upcoming leap years.

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NO

2026 is not a leap year

Days in year 365
Previous leap year 2024
Next leap year 2028

Upcoming leap years

2028203220362040204420482052205620602064

Recent leap years

20242020201620122008

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Leap year calculator: is a year a leap year?

The leap year calculator tells you instantly whether any year is a leap year or a common year, explains which rule applies, and shows you the nearest past and future leap years. Leap years occur every 4 years with two important exceptions, making the pattern slightly irregular across centuries.

The leap year rule explained

A year is a leap year if it satisfies the Gregorian calendar rule: divisible by 4, EXCEPT for century years (divisible by 100), which must also be divisible by 400. This means 1900 was not a leap year (divisible by 100 but not 400), but 2000 was (divisible by 400). The next century year exception will be 2100, which will not be a leap year.

The purpose of leap years is to keep the calendar year aligned with the solar year — the time Earth takes to orbit the Sun — which is approximately 365.2422 days. Adding one extra day every 4 years gives 365.25 days per year on average. The century corrections reduce this to 365.2425 days per year, which matches the solar year closely enough that an additional correction will not be needed for about 3 200 years.

Is leap year = (year mod 4 = 0) AND NOT (year mod 100 = 0 AND year mod 400 ≠ 0)

True means leap year (366 days); false means common year (365 days).

Simplified: leap if (year mod 400 = 0) OR (year mod 4 = 0 AND year mod 100 ≠ 0)

Equivalent two-condition form often used in programming.

Leap years in practice

People born on 29 February ("leaplings") celebrate their birthday on 28 February or 1 March in non-leap years, depending on their preference and the rules of the country they live in. Legally, many jurisdictions treat 28 February as the official birthday in non-leap years for purposes such as reaching the age of majority.

Software developers must handle leap years carefully in date arithmetic. A common bug is checking only whether a year is divisible by 4, which incorrectly flags 1900 as a leap year. All major programming languages have leap year functions built into their standard date libraries, but understanding the underlying rule helps when debugging date-related logic.

Frequently asked questions

Is 2100 a leap year?

2100 is not a leap year. It is divisible by 100 but not by 400, so the century exception applies and the extra day is omitted. The last century leap year was 2000, and the next will be 2400.

What happens to people born on 29 February in non-leap years?

They celebrate on either 28 February or 1 March by convention. Legal age calculations vary by country: the UK and US generally use 28 February as the legal equivalent birthday in common years. These individuals are sometimes called "leaplings" or "leap-day babies".

Why is 2000 a leap year but 1900 is not?

Both are divisible by 100, which would normally make them non-leap years. However, 2000 is also divisible by 400, which overrides the century exception and makes it a leap year. 1900 is not divisible by 400, so it remains a common year with 365 days.

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