To calculate business days between two dates, list or count the dates in the interval, remove the weekend days used by the applicable working schedule, and then remove recognised public holidays. A Monday-to-Friday weekday count is a useful starting point, but it is not always identical to an official business-day count.
Enter two dates to calculate exact years, months, weeks, days, weekdays, weekends, and inclusive date counts.
A standard Monday-to-Friday week usually contains five possible business days.
Business-Day Calculation Method
Start by placing the dates in chronological order and deciding whether the boundary dates are included.
Exclude the weekend days used by the relevant working schedule.
Then remove applicable public holidays or other officially closed dates.
What the Date Difference Calculator Counts
The Date Difference Calculator reports weekdays by identifying Monday through Friday.
It also reports weekend days separately.
It does not automatically exclude public holidays because holiday calendars vary by country, region, and organisation.
Worked Example without a Holiday
Suppose an inclusive period runs from Monday through Sunday.
The period contains seven calendar dates.
Excluding Saturday and Sunday leaves five weekdays.
Worked Example with a Public Holiday
Suppose one of the five weekdays is an applicable public holiday.
The weekday count remains five because the date still falls from Monday through Friday.
The business-day count falls to four after the holiday is removed.
Choose Inclusive or Exclusive Counting
Some deadlines begin counting on the day after an event.
Others include the starting day when it is itself a valid working day.
Read Inclusive vs Exclusive Date Counting before applying a deadline rule.
How to Count Business Days Manually
A manual calendar count is practical for short intervals.
Mark every included date, cross out weekends, and then cross out applicable holidays.
The dates remaining are the business days.
- 1Set the interval boundaries
Decide whether the first and last dates are included.
- 2Remove weekend dates
Use the weekend schedule that applies to the organisation.
- 3Remove holidays
Apply the correct national, regional, or organisational calendar.
- 4Count the remaining dates
The total is the business-day result.
Business Days vs Weekdays
Weekdays are identified only by their day of the week.
Business days are working dates under a particular rule or calendar.
A weekday that is an official holiday may not be a business day.
Different Weekend Schedules
Not every workplace uses Saturday and Sunday as non-working days.
Some organisations operate six days per week or use a different weekend.
The calculation must reflect the applicable schedule rather than assuming a universal pattern.
Business-Day Deadlines
Contracts and policies may define when counting begins, which holidays are excluded, and what happens when a deadline lands on a closed day.
The written definition should control the calculation.
A general weekday total should not replace the terms of a formal agreement.
Long Intervals
For long intervals, count complete weeks first because each standard week contributes five weekdays.
Then evaluate the remaining partial week.
Applicable holidays must still be removed from the total.
Common Mistakes
Do not describe every weekday as a business day without checking holidays.
Do not assume the starting date is included.
Do not assume that every organisation uses the same weekend.
Do not use a holiday calendar from the wrong country or region.
Conclusion
Calculate business days by excluding weekend dates and applicable holidays from the chosen interval.
Confirm the boundary and working-week rules before relying on the result.
Use the Date Difference Calculator to obtain the weekday and weekend portions of the interval.
FAQs
How do I calculate business days between dates?
Exclude weekend dates and recognised holidays from the included calendar dates.
Are weekdays the same as business days?
Not always, because an official holiday may fall on a weekday.
Does the calculator exclude holidays?
No. It identifies weekdays and weekends, but holiday rules require a location-specific calendar.
Should I count the starting date?
That depends on whether the applicable rule uses inclusive or exclusive counting.
Do all countries use Saturday and Sunday as weekends?
No. Weekend and working-week schedules can vary.