If you are a trader or an investor, you might wonder how many trading days there are in a year. The number of trading days in a year is important because it affects how often you can trade stocks, commodities, and other assets. It also helps traders plan their strategies and understand market trends.

In this article, we will explain how to calculate trading days in 2025, factors that affect trading days, and how different markets operate.

What Are Trading Days?

A trading day is a day when stock markets are open for buying and selling securities.

The total number of trading days in a year varies depending on the country and the market you are trading in. Different stock exchanges follow different calendars, so the number of trading days is not the same everywhere.

How Many Trading Days Are There in 2025?

To determine the total number of trading days in 2025, we need to look at a few key factors:

• Total days in a year: 2025 is not a leap year, so it has 365 days.
• Weekends: Stock markets are usually closed on Saturdays and Sundays.
• Public holidays: Markets close on national holidays, which reduces the number of trading days.

Step 1: Remove Weekends

There are 52 weeks in a year. Since each week has two weekend days (Saturday and Sunday), we calculate:

52 weeks × 2 days = 104 weekend days

365 days – 104 weekend days = 261 weekdays

So, before considering holidays, there are 261 potential trading days in 2025.

Step 2: Remove Market Holidays

Each stock market has specific holidays when trading is closed. Below are some examples:

United States (NYSE & NASDAQ)

Major US stock exchanges are closed on the following holidays in 2025:

• New Year’s Day (January 1)
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 20)
• Washington’s Birthday (Presidents’ Day) (February 17)
• Good Friday (April 18)
• Memorial Day (May 26)
• Independence Day (July 4)
• Labor Day (September 1)
• Thanksgiving Day (November 27)
• Christmas Day (December 25)

This gives us 9 market holidays.

Now, we subtract these from the total weekdays:

261 weekdays – 9 holidays = 252 trading days

Thus, in the U.S. stock market, there are 252 trading days in 2025.

United Kingdom (London Stock Exchange – LSE)

The London Stock Exchange closes on UK public holidays, such as:

• New Year’s Day (January 1)
• Good Friday (April 18)
• Easter Monday (April 21)
• Early May Bank Holiday (May 5)
• Spring Bank Holiday (May 26)
• Summer Bank Holiday (August 25)
• Christmas Day (December 25)
• Boxing Day (December 26)

This results in 8 holidays, so:

261 weekdays – 8 holidays = 253 trading days

Thus, in the UK stock market, there are 253 trading days in 2025.

Other Major Markets

• Tokyo Stock Exchange (Japan):

About 243 trading days due to holidays like Golden Week and Emperor’s Birthday.

• Shanghai Stock Exchange (China):

About 244 trading days with closures for Lunar New Year and National Day.

• Bombay Stock Exchange (India):

Around 245 trading days due to multiple public holidays.

Why Are Trading Days Important?

Knowing the number of trading days in a year helps traders and investors in many ways:

1. Trading Strategy Planning

• Short-term traders, like day traders, need to know the available days to plan their trading activities.
• Long-term investors use trading days to calculate annual returns and market trends.

2. Market Liquidity

• Markets with more trading days tend to have higher liquidity, meaning it is easier to buy and sell assets.
• Liquidity affects the ease of entering and exiting trades, impacting price movements and stability.

3. Portfolio Performance Analysis

• Investors calculate annualized returns based on the number of trading days.
• A higher number of trading days allows for more opportunities to adjust investment strategies and react to market trends.

4. Economic Impact

• Fewer trading days can affect the economy, as stock markets contribute to business growth.
• Market closures on key days might influence investor sentiment and market trends when trading resumes.

How to Make the Most of Trading Days?

1. Plan for Market Closures

• Be aware of upcoming market holidays and plan trades accordingly.
• Avoid last-minute trading before long weekends, as volatility may increase due to reduced liquidity.

2. Use Trading Tools

• Automated bots and alerts help manage trades on busy trading days.
• Calendars and scheduling tools ensure you do not miss trading opportunities.
• Stock screeners and analytics platforms can help optimize trading strategies.

3. Watch for Market Trends

• Pay attention to market trends before and after holidays, as trading volume often changes.
• Be mindful of earnings reports, geopolitical events, and economic announcements that could impact trading behavior.

4. Diversify Across Markets

• If one market is closed, you can trade in another market that remains open.
• This reduces downtime and increases trading opportunities.
• Consider trading multiple asset classes such as forex, commodities, and cryptocurrencies to take advantage of 24/7 markets.

5. Optimize Your Trading Schedule

• Some trading days have higher volatility, such as the first and last days of a month.
• Trading during peak hours (e.g., market open and close) can provide more liquidity and better price execution.

Conclusion

In 2025, the U.S. stock market has 252 trading days, the UK market has 253, and other markets vary slightly. The total number depends on weekends and public holidays specific to each country.

Understanding trading days is crucial for planning trades, analyzing market trends, and optimizing investment strategies. Whether you are a short-term trader or a long-term investor, knowing when markets are open helps you make better financial decisions.

Always check your market’s official calendar to stay updated on trading days and holidays for the year. By leveraging trading tools, monitoring trends, and optimizing strategies, you can make the most out of every trading opportunity.