What is the Number of Days in a Year?

Discover the standard number of days in a year, including leap years, which add an extra day every four years.

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A standard year consists of 365 days. However, every fourth year is a leap year, which contains 366 days to account for the extra 0.25 days per year it takes for the Earth to orbit the Sun.

FAQs & Answers

  1. What is a leap year? A leap year is a year that contains an extra day, February 29, to help synchronize the calendar year with the solar year.
  2. Why do we have leap years? Leap years are necessary because a complete orbit of the Earth around the Sun takes approximately 365.25 days.
  3. How often do leap years occur? Leap years occur every four years, with some exceptions for years divisible by 100 but not by 400.
  4. What happens in a leap year? In a leap year, February has 29 days instead of the usual 28, making it a total of 366 days in that year.

Watch More

If you're interested in learning more about our calendar system and how it affects timekeeping, check out our videos on leap years and the history of the Gregorian calendar.

  1. Understanding Leap Years: What is the Difference Between 365 Days and 366 Days? Learn the key differences between 365-day regular years and 366-day leap years, and why we need leap years for our calendar system.