Which Australian State Has the Most Public Holidays in 2026?

Every Australian state shares the national public holidays — New Year's Day, Australia Day, Easter, Anzac Day, Christmas and Boxing Day. After that, the totals diverge. In 2026, the ACT, South Australia and the Northern Territory top the list with 15 public holidays each, while Tasmania has the fewest state-wide (10).

2026 public holidays by state

Counting the gazetted state-wide public holidays each jurisdiction lists — the same basis as our state pages:

State	Public holidays (2026)
ACT	15
SA	15
NT	15
NSW	14
VIC	13
QLD	13
WA	13
TAS	10

This counts every state-wide gazetted public holiday, including the part-day evening holidays (Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve in some states) and the NSW Bank Holiday. It excludes regional show and race days that only apply in certain districts — which is why Tasmania, with its many regional holidays, sits lowest on a state-wide count.

The three-way tie at the top — and who really leads

The ACT, SA and NT all reach 15, but they get there differently. The ACT's 15 are all full days off, built on two holidays no other state has — Canberra Day in March and Reconciliation Day in late May. South Australia and the Northern Territory reach 15 partly through part-day Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve holidays, which only cover the evening. So if you count full days off rather than every gazetted holiday, the ACT comes out ahead.

Why Tasmania looks lowest

Tasmania isn't short of holidays — they're just mostly regional. The Royal Hobart Regatta, the Launceston Cup, the various agricultural shows and northern Tasmania's Recreation Day are real days off, but they apply to specific districts rather than the whole state, so they don't count toward a state-wide total. Easter Tuesday is also restricted to parts of the public sector.

The state holidays that make the difference

State	Distinctive holiday
VIC	Melbourne Cup Day (first Tuesday in November)
SA	Adelaide Cup Day (March) + part-day Christmas Eve & NYE
WA	Western Australia Day (June)
ACT	Canberra Day + Reconciliation Day
QLD	Labour Day in May; the Brisbane Ekka (local)
NT	Picnic Day (August) + part-day Christmas Eve & NYE
NSW	Bank Holiday (banks only, first Monday in August)

Does the count actually matter?

For working-day budgets, payroll and project timelines, yes — but only the full state-wide holidays count. Each one that lands on a weekday is one fewer working day, and it compounds across a year; the part-day Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve holidays and the banks-only NSW Bank Holiday sit in the listed totals above but don't reduce a working-day count. For the exact figure between any two dates in your state, use the Working Days Calculator, and check the full list on the Public Holidays pages.

Frequently asked questions

Which Australian state has the most public holidays in 2026?

Three jurisdictions tie at the top with 15 each — the ACT, South Australia and the Northern Territory. The ACT's 15 are all full days off (thanks to Canberra Day and Reconciliation Day), while SA and the NT include part-day Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve holidays.

Which state has the fewest public holidays?

Tasmania has the fewest state-wide public holidays (10 in 2026), because many of its extra days — regattas, shows and Recreation Day — are regional rather than state-wide.

Does Queensland or NSW have more public holidays?

NSW has more — 14 to Queensland's 13 in 2026. Queensland has many show holidays too, but most are local to a city or district rather than state-wide.

Why do public holiday counts differ between sources?

Because some lists include part-day evening holidays and the NSW Bank Holiday while others count only full days off, and regional show days may or may not be included. This guide counts state-wide gazetted holidays, matching our state pages; counting full days off only would put the ACT clearly first.