Nearly every country in the world sets aside one day each year to mark its founding, its independence, or a major turning point in its history. This report lists the national holiday of each country by continent, along with the date, the year of the underlying event, and what the day represents.
What Counts as a National Holiday
National holidays go by different names depending on the country’s history:
Independence Day marks the day a country formally gained sovereignty from a colonial power or another state. This is the most common type worldwide, especially across Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
National Day is a broader term used by countries that were never colonised, or that prefer to mark a different milestone, such as unification, a royal birthday, or the founding of a ruling dynasty.
Republic Day, Constitution Day, Liberation Day, and Statehood Day mark other turning points, such as the adoption of a constitution, the end of a monarchy, or liberation from occupation.
Some countries observe more than one national holiday. India, for example, marks both Independence Day on 15 August and Republic Day on 26 January. This report lists the holiday most widely recognised as each country’s primary national day.
Chart 1: The 182 national holidays in this report, grouped by type.
Chart 2: The three calendar months with the highest concentration of independence-related national holidays worldwide, based on published research covering more than 150 countries.
National Holidays by Continent
The tables below cover 182 countries and territories. Dates reflect the day the holiday is publicly celebrated, which sometimes differs slightly from the exact historical date of the underlying event.
Africa (52 countries)
| Country | Holiday | Date | Year | Independence From / Basis |
| Ghana | Independence Day | 6 March | 1957 | United Kingdom |
| Nigeria | Independence Day | 1 October | 1960 | United Kingdom |
| Kenya | Independence Day | 12 December | 1963 | United Kingdom |
| South Africa | Freedom Day | 27 April | 1994 | End of apartheid, first democratic election |
| Egypt | Revolution Day | 23 July | 1952 | Egyptian Revolution |
| Algeria | Independence Day | 5 July | 1962 | France |
| Morocco | Independence Day | 18 November | 1956 | France |
| Tunisia | Independence Day | 20 March | 1956 | France |
| Libya | Independence Day | 24 December | 1951 | Italy / UN trusteeship |
| Sudan | Independence Day | 1 January | 1956 | United Kingdom / Egypt |
| South Sudan | Independence Day | 9 July | 2011 | Sudan |
| Tanzania | Union / Independence Day | 9 December | 1961 | United Kingdom |
| Uganda | Independence Day | 9 October | 1962 | United Kingdom |
| Zambia | Independence Day | 24 October | 1964 | United Kingdom |
| Zimbabwe | Independence Day | 18 April | 1980 | United Kingdom |
| Malawi | Independence Day | 6 July | 1964 | United Kingdom |
| Botswana | Independence Day | 30 September | 1966 | United Kingdom |
| Namibia | Independence Day | 21 March | 1990 | South Africa |
| Angola | Independence Day | 11 November | 1975 | Portugal |
| Mozambique | Independence Day | 25 June | 1975 | Portugal |
| Senegal | Independence Day | 4 April | 1960 | France |
| Mali | Independence Day | 22 September | 1960 | France |
| Cote d’Ivoire | Independence Day | 7 August | 1960 | France |
| Cameroon | Independence Day | 1 January | 1960 | France |
| DR Congo | Independence Day | 30 June | 1960 | Belgium |
| Congo Republic | Independence Day | 15 August | 1960 | France |
| Gabon | Independence Day | 17 August | 1960 | France |
| Togo | Independence Day | 27 April | 1960 | France |
| Benin | Independence Day | 1 August | 1960 | France |
| Niger | Independence Day | 3 August | 1960 | France |
| Burkina Faso | Independence Day | 5 August | 1960 | France |
| Chad | Independence Day | 11 August | 1960 | France |
| Central African Republic | Independence Day | 13 August | 1960 | France |
| Madagascar | Independence Day | 26 June | 1960 | France |
| Mauritania | Independence Day | 28 November | 1960 | France |
| Guinea | Independence Day | 2 October | 1958 | France |
| Sierra Leone | Independence Day | 27 April | 1961 | United Kingdom |
| Gambia | Independence Day | 18 February | 1965 | United Kingdom |
| Rwanda | Independence Day | 1 July | 1962 | Belgium |
| Burundi | Independence Day | 1 July | 1962 | Belgium |
| Somalia | Independence Day | 1 July | 1960 | United Kingdom / Italy (union) |
| Djibouti | Independence Day | 27 June | 1977 | France |
| Eritrea | Independence Day | 24 May | 1993 | Ethiopia |
| Cape Verde | Independence Day | 5 July | 1975 | Portugal |
| Guinea-Bissau | Independence Day | 24 September | 1973 | Portugal |
| Equatorial Guinea | Independence Day | 12 October | 1968 | Spain |
| Comoros | Independence Day | 6 July | 1975 | France |
| Seychelles | Independence Day | 29 June | 1976 | United Kingdom |
| Mauritius | Independence Day | 12 March | 1968 | United Kingdom |
| Lesotho | Independence Day | 4 October | 1966 | United Kingdom |
| Eswatini | Independence Day | 6 September | 1968 | United Kingdom |
| Ethiopia | National Day (Adwa Victory Day) | 2 March | 1896 | Never formally colonised; marks victory over Italy at Adwa |
The Americas (35 countries)
| Country | Holiday | Date | Year | Independence From / Basis |
| United States | Independence Day | 4 July | 1776 | Great Britain |
| Canada | Canada Day | 1 July | 1867 | Formation of the Dominion of Canada |
| Mexico | Independence Day | 16 September | 1810 | Spain (start of the war of independence) |
| Brazil | Independence Day | 7 September | 1822 | Portugal |
| Argentina | Independence Day | 9 July | 1816 | Spain |
| Chile | Independence Day | 18 September | 1810 | Spain (First Government Junta) |
| Colombia | Independence Day | 20 July | 1810 | Spain |
| Peru | Independence Day | 28 July | 1821 | Spain |
| Venezuela | Independence Day | 5 July | 1811 | Spain |
| Ecuador | Independence Day | 10 August | 1809 | Spain (first declaration) |
| Bolivia | Independence Day | 6 August | 1825 | Spain |
| Paraguay | Independence Day | 15 May | 1811 | Spain |
| Uruguay | Independence Day | 25 August | 1825 | Brazil |
| Cuba | Independence Day | 20 May | 1902 | Spain / United States |
| Dominican Republic | Independence Day | 27 February | 1844 | Haiti |
| Haiti | Independence Day | 1 January | 1804 | France |
| Jamaica | Independence Day | 6 August | 1962 | United Kingdom |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Independence Day | 31 August | 1962 | United Kingdom |
| Guyana | Independence Day | 26 May | 1966 | United Kingdom |
| Suriname | Independence Day | 25 November | 1975 | Netherlands |
| Belize | Independence Day | 21 September | 1981 | United Kingdom |
| Panama | Independence Day | 3 November | 1903 | Colombia |
| Costa Rica | Independence Day | 15 September | 1821 | Spain |
| Nicaragua | Independence Day | 15 September | 1821 | Spain |
| Honduras | Independence Day | 15 September | 1821 | Spain |
| Guatemala | Independence Day | 15 September | 1821 | Spain |
| El Salvador | Independence Day | 15 September | 1821 | Spain |
| Bahamas | Independence Day | 10 July | 1973 | United Kingdom |
| Barbados | Independence Day | 30 November | 1966 | United Kingdom |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Independence Day | 1 November | 1981 | United Kingdom |
| Dominica | Independence Day | 3 November | 1978 | United Kingdom |
| Grenada | Independence Day | 7 February | 1974 | United Kingdom |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | Independence Day | 19 September | 1983 | United Kingdom |
| Saint Lucia | Independence Day | 22 February | 1979 | United Kingdom |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Independence Day | 27 October | 1979 | United Kingdom |
Europe (37 countries)
| Country | Holiday | Date | Year | Independence From / Basis |
| Greece | Independence Day | 25 March | 1821 | Ottoman Empire |
| Norway | Constitution Day | 17 May | 1814 | Signing of the Norwegian constitution |
| Finland | Independence Day | 6 December | 1917 | Russia |
| Iceland | Independence / Republic Day | 17 June | 1944 | Denmark |
| Ireland | National Day (St Patrick’s Day) | 17 March | – | Feast day of Ireland’s patron saint |
| Poland | Independence Day | 11 November | 1918 | Restoration after partitions |
| Czech Republic | Independence Day | 28 October | 1918 | Formation of Czechoslovakia |
| Bulgaria | Liberation Day | 3 March | 1878 | Ottoman Empire |
| Romania | Independence Day | 9 May | 1877 | Ottoman Empire |
| Ukraine | Independence Day | 24 August | 1991 | Soviet Union |
| Belarus | Independence Day | 3 July | 1944 | Liberation of Minsk |
| Croatia | Independence Day | 8 October | 1991 | Yugoslavia |
| Slovenia | Statehood Day | 25 June | 1991 | Yugoslavia |
| Estonia | Independence Day | 24 February | 1918 / 1991 | Restored independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 |
| Latvia | Independence Day | 18 November | 1918 / 1990 | Restored independence in 1990 |
| Lithuania | Independence Day | 16 February | 1918 / 1990 | Restored independence in 1990 |
| Malta | Independence Day | 21 September | 1964 | United Kingdom |
| Cyprus | Independence Day | 1 October | 1960 | United Kingdom |
| Germany | German Unity Day | 3 October | 1990 | Reunification of East and West Germany |
| Italy | Republic Day | 2 June | 1946 | Founding of the Italian Republic |
| Spain | National Day | 12 October | 1492 | Arrival of Columbus in the Americas |
| Portugal | Portugal Day | 10 June | 1580 | Death of poet Luis de Camoes; marks Portuguese identity |
| Netherlands | King’s Day | 27 April | – | Birthday of the reigning monarch |
| Belgium | National Day | 21 July | 1831 | Inauguration of the first king |
| Austria | National Day | 26 October | 1955 | Declaration of permanent neutrality |
| Switzerland | National Day | 1 August | 1291 | Founding of the Swiss Confederacy |
| Sweden | National Day | 6 June | 1523 | Election of King Gustav Vasa |
| Denmark | Constitution Day | 5 June | 1849 | Signing of the constitution |
| Russia | Russia Day | 12 June | 1990 | Declaration of state sovereignty |
| Serbia | Statehood Day | 15 February | 1804 | Start of the First Serbian Uprising |
| Slovakia | Constitution Day | 1 September | 1992 | Adoption of the Slovak constitution |
| Hungary | St Stephen’s Day | 20 August | 1000 | Founding of the Hungarian state |
| Albania | Independence Day | 28 November | 1912 | Ottoman Empire |
| North Macedonia | Independence Day | 8 September | 1991 | Yugoslavia |
| Montenegro | Independence Day | 21 May | 2006 | Union of Serbia and Montenegro |
| Moldova | Independence Day | 27 August | 1991 | Soviet Union |
| France | Bastille Day | 14 July | 1789 | Storming of the Bastille |
Asia (44 countries)
| Country | Holiday | Date | Year | Independence From / Basis |
| India | Independence Day | 15 August | 1947 | United Kingdom |
| Pakistan | Independence Day | 14 August | 1947 | United Kingdom |
| Bangladesh | Independence Day | 26 March | 1971 | Pakistan |
| Sri Lanka | Independence Day | 4 February | 1948 | United Kingdom |
| Indonesia | Independence Day | 17 August | 1945 | Netherlands / Japan |
| Philippines | Independence Day | 12 June | 1898 | Spain |
| Vietnam | Independence Day | 2 September | 1945 | France / Japan |
| Malaysia | Independence Day | 31 August | 1957 | United Kingdom |
| Singapore | Independence Day | 9 August | 1965 | Separation from Malaysia |
| Myanmar | Independence Day | 4 January | 1948 | United Kingdom |
| Cambodia | Independence Day | 9 November | 1953 | France |
| Laos | Independence Day | 23 October | 1953 | France |
| Mongolia | National Day (Naadam) | 11 July | 1921 | China |
| South Korea | Liberation Day | 15 August | 1945 | Japan |
| North Korea | Liberation Day | 15 August | 1945 | Japan |
| Israel | Independence Day | 14 May | 1948 | Declaration of statehood |
| Jordan | Independence Day | 25 May | 1946 | United Kingdom |
| Lebanon | Independence Day | 22 November | 1943 | France |
| Syria | Independence Day | 17 April | 1946 | France |
| Iraq | Independence Day | 3 October | 1932 | United Kingdom |
| Kuwait | National Day | 19 June | 1961 | United Kingdom |
| Yemen | National Day | 30 November | 1967 | United Kingdom (South Yemen) |
| Bahrain | National Day | 16 December | 1971 | United Kingdom |
| Qatar | National Day | 18 December | 1878 | Founding of the modern state |
| United Arab Emirates | National Day | 2 December | 1971 | United Kingdom |
| Kazakhstan | Independence Day | 16 December | 1991 | Soviet Union |
| Uzbekistan | Independence Day | 1 September | 1991 | Soviet Union |
| Turkmenistan | Independence Day | 27 October | 1991 | Soviet Union |
| Kyrgyzstan | Independence Day | 31 August | 1991 | Soviet Union |
| Tajikistan | Independence Day | 9 September | 1991 | Soviet Union |
| Armenia | Independence Day | 21 September | 1991 | Soviet Union |
| Azerbaijan | Independence Day | 18 October | 1991 | Soviet Union |
| Georgia | Independence Day | 9 April | 1991 | Soviet Union |
| Afghanistan | Independence Day | 19 August | 1919 | United Kingdom (control of foreign affairs) |
| Bhutan | National Day | 17 December | 1907 | Founding of the monarchy |
| Nepal | Constitution Day | 20 September | 2015 | Adoption of the current constitution |
| Brunei | National Day | 23 February | 1984 | United Kingdom |
| East Timor | Independence Day | 20 May | 2002 | Indonesia |
| China | National Day | 1 October | 1949 | Founding of the People’s Republic |
| Japan | National Foundation Day | 11 February | – | Legendary founding date of the nation |
| Taiwan | National Day | 10 October | 1911 | Xinhai Revolution |
| Saudi Arabia | National Day | 23 September | 1932 | Unification of the kingdom |
| Oman | National Day | 18 November | – | Birthday of the Sultan |
| Thailand | National Day | 5 December | – | Never colonised; marks the birthday of the late King Bhumibol |
Oceania (14 countries)
| Country | Holiday | Date | Year | Independence From / Basis |
| Australia | Australia Day | 26 January | 1788 | Arrival of the First Fleet (not independence) |
| New Zealand | Waitangi Day | 6 February | 1840 | Signing of the Treaty of Waitangi |
| Papua New Guinea | Independence Day | 16 September | 1975 | Australia |
| Fiji | Independence Day | 10 October | 1970 | United Kingdom |
| Samoa | Independence Day | 1 January | 1962 | New Zealand |
| Tonga | Emancipation Day | 4 June | 1970 | End of the British protectorate |
| Vanuatu | Independence Day | 30 July | 1980 | United Kingdom / France |
| Solomon Islands | Independence Day | 7 July | 1978 | United Kingdom |
| Kiribati | Independence Day | 12 July | 1979 | United Kingdom |
| Tuvalu | Independence Day | 1 October | 1978 | United Kingdom |
| Marshall Islands | Independence Day | 1 May | 1979 | United States |
| Palau | Independence Day | 1 October | 1994 | United States (UN trusteeship) |
| Nauru | Independence Day | 31 January | 1968 | Australia / UK / New Zealand trusteeship |
| Micronesia | Independence Day | 3 November | 1986 | United States |
A Few Notable Patterns
1960 is known as the Year of Africa. Eighteen African countries, most of them former French colonies, gained independence that year alone, which is why so many African nations share August as their independence month.
The break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991 produced a cluster of independence days across Eastern Europe and Central Asia, most falling between August and December of that year.
Not every national holiday marks independence from a coloniser. Countries such as Germany, Italy, and Russia mark reunification, the founding of a republic, or a declaration of sovereignty rather than freedom from colonial rule.
A small number of countries, including the United Kingdom, have no single official national day at all.
Disclaimer
This report is a general reference document covering the primary national holiday of each country listed. It does not cover every territory, dependency, or disputed state, and some countries observe additional national holidays not listed here. Historical dates, especially for independence and founding days, are sometimes described differently by different sources depending on whether they mark a declaration, a treaty, or full sovereignty; the dates given here reflect the day most commonly celebrated as the public holiday. Readers should verify specific dates and details against official or local sources before relying on this document for publication, legal, or planning purposes.
