The short answer is: it depends which UK nation you’re in. There is no single “UK bank holiday count” — England and Wales get 8, Scotland gets 9, and Northern Ireland gets 10 in 2026.
The count, by nation
| Nation | 2026 total | What’s different |
|---|---|---|
| England & Wales | 8 | The baseline calendar |
| Scotland | 9 | Swaps Easter Monday for 2 January and adds St Andrew’s Day |
| Northern Ireland | 10 | Keeps Easter Monday and adds St Patrick’s Day and the Battle of the Boyne holiday |
Northern Ireland ends up with the most because it’s the only nation that combines the England-and-Wales base calendar (including Easter Monday) with its own two additional local dates.
Is 8 a lot or a little?
By international standards, England and Wales’ 8 bank holidays sit at the low end. Most EU countries observe somewhere between 10 and 14 public holidays a year — Spain and Austria are typically among the highest, several reaching 13 or more. The UK’s shorter list dates back to how the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971 originally set it, and it’s changed only marginally since. Occasional one-off extra bank holidays do get granted for major national occasions — an additional holiday was given for the King’s Coronation in May 2023, for instance — but these are exceptions announced individually, not a standing part of the annual calendar.
Why the count varies within the UK itself
Bank holidays aren’t set entirely at Westminster. England and Wales follow the 1971 Act directly. Scotland’s are set separately by the Scottish Government, reflecting different historical priorities (New Year over Easter Monday). Northern Ireland’s legislative basis includes its own additions tied to local history. The result is a UK where “how many bank holidays” genuinely depends on where you live and work, not just what year it is.
For the full list of dates behind these numbers, see 2026 bank holidays UK.