2027 is a good year for employers and a bad one for anyone who loves public holidays: several nationwide holidays fall on a weekend. Depending on the German state, 2027 therefore has 253 to 256 working days, one or two more than 2026. Here are all the figures for the 16 states, the working days per month and the reasons for the differences.
Working days 2027 by German state
The calculation assumes a 5-day week: Monday to Friday excluding the state's statutory public holidays. Werktage are Monday to Saturday excluding holidays (§ 3(2) BUrlG).
| State | Working days 2027 | Holidays on Mon–Fri 2027 | Werktage (Mon–Sat) 2027 | Working days 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baden-Württemberg | 253 | 8 | 303 | 252 | +1 |
| Bavaria | 253 | 8 | 303 | 252 | +1 |
| Berlin | 255 | 6 | 305 | 254 | +1 |
| Brandenburg | 256 | 5 | 306 | 254 | +2 |
| Bremen | 256 | 5 | 306 | 254 | +2 |
| Hamburg | 256 | 5 | 306 | 254 | +2 |
| Hesse | 255 | 6 | 305 | 253 | +2 |
| Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 255 | 6 | 305 | 254 | +1 |
| Lower Saxony | 256 | 5 | 306 | 254 | +2 |
| North Rhine-Westphalia | 254 | 7 | 304 | 253 | +1 |
| Rhineland-Palatinate | 254 | 7 | 304 | 253 | +1 |
| Saarland | 254 | 7 | 304 | 253 | +1 |
| Saxony | 255 | 6 | 305 | 253 | +2 |
| Saxony-Anhalt | 255 | 6 | 305 | 253 | +2 |
| Schleswig-Holstein | 256 | 5 | 306 | 254 | +2 |
| Thuringia | 255 | 6 | 305 | 254 | +1 |
Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg have the fewest working days with 253 each, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein the most with 256 each. Holidays that only apply regionally are not deducted: Corpus Christi in parts of Saxony and Thuringia (Thursday, 27 May 2027) costs one more working day there. Assumption Day in Bavaria and the Augsburg Peace Festival fall on a Sunday in 2027.
Why 2027 has more working days
The calendar year 2027 starts and ends on a Friday and, like 2026, has exactly 261 days from Monday to Friday. The difference comes solely from where the public holidays fall:
- Labour Day (1 May): a Friday in 2026, a Saturday in 2027.
- Christmas Day: a Friday in 2026, a Saturday in 2027. The second Christmas holiday falls on a Sunday in 2027.
- German Unity Day: a Sunday in 2027 (a Saturday in 2026).
- Reformation Day: a Sunday in 2027 (a Saturday in 2026).
Nationwide, therefore, only 5 of the 9 common holidays fall on a weekday from Monday to Friday in 2027: New Year's Day (Friday), Good Friday (26 March), Easter Monday (29 March), Ascension Day (6 May) and Whit Monday (17 May). In 2026 it was 7.
In some states the gain is smaller because a state holiday moves to a Monday in 2027 that was a Sunday in 2026: All Saints' Day (1 November) in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, International Women's Day (8 March) in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and World Children's Day (20 September) in Thuringia.
Working days 2027 per month
For monthly planning, payroll or project schedules, the monthly figures are often more important than the annual total. The table shows six examples; the days calculator provides all other states.
| Month | Nationwide* | Bavaria | Baden-Württemberg | North Rhine-Westphalia | Saxony | Berlin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| February | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| March | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 |
| April | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 |
| May | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 |
| June | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 |
| July | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 |
| August | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 |
| September | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 |
| October | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 |
| November | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 |
| December | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 |
| Total | 256 | 253 | 253 | 254 | 255 | 255 |
* Only the nine nationwide holidays. These figures also apply to Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein.
With 18 to 19 working days, May is the shortest month almost everywhere, because Ascension Day, Whit Monday and in many states Corpus Christi fall on weekdays. December is the longest with 23 working days, as both Christmas holidays fall on the weekend. Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve are not statutory public holidays and count as working days, even though many businesses close.
How to use the figures
- Planning leave: taking leave on bridge days still pays off in 2027 despite fewer holidays, e.g. on the Friday after Ascension Day (7 May). All dates are in the article Bridge days 2027; your own entitlement is calculated by the holiday entitlement calculator.
- Working days for a period: in the days calculator choose a start and end date and your state to get working days, Werktage and all public holidays in the period.
- Planning weeks: which calendar week contains which holidays is shown in the article Calendar weeks 2027.
Conclusion
Depending on the state, 2027 has 253 to 256 working days in Germany, one or two more than 2026. The reason: Labour Day and Christmas Day fall on a Saturday. Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg work the least, the northern states without additional state holidays the most.
As of 26 October 2026. Calculated from the public holiday laws of the German states; only statewide holidays are deducted.