In 1 years there are 31,536,000 seconds. Meanwhile in 1 seconds there are 3.17098e-8 years. Keep reading to learn more about each unit of measure and how they are calculated. Or just use the Seconds to Years calculator above to convert any number.
* Values rounded to 6 decimal places for readability
To convert years to seconds, multiply the number of years by the number of seconds in 1 year.
Formula
Example
Quick note on leap years
A common year has 31,536,000 seconds (365 days). That comes from 365 × 24 × 60 × 60.
A leap year has 31,622,400 seconds (366 days).
A leap year has 31,622,400 seconds. It has 366 days, so the math is 366 × 24 × 60 × 60.
Years don’t all have the same number of days. A leap year adds one extra day, which adds 86,400 seconds.
Some fields also use an average year to smooth things out, so the value can change based on the goal.
Use this simple setup:
For most cases, days per year is 365. For leap years, use 366.
For common years: 2 × 31,536,000 = 63,072,000 seconds.
If one of those years is a leap year, add 86,400 seconds for each leap year included.
For common years: 5 × 31,536,000 = 157,680,000 seconds.
If that 5-year span includes a leap year, add 86,400 seconds per leap year.
For common years: 10 × 31,536,000 = 315,360,000 seconds.
Add 86,400 seconds for each leap year in that 10-year range.
A 365-day year has 31,536,000 seconds.
This is the standard “common year” used in many conversions.
A 366-day year has 31,622,400 seconds.
That extra day adds 86,400 seconds.
Use division:
If you need a close estimate across many years, use an average year length.
A widely used average is the Julian year: 365.25 days.
That equals 31,557,600 seconds (365.25 × 24 × 60 × 60).
Another common average is 365.2425 days, which equals 31,556,952 seconds. This better matches the calendar over long periods.
No. Most years have 365 days, but leap years have 366 days. Over long spans, calendar rules keep the year aligned with Earth’s orbit.
For many everyday uses, 365 days is close enough.
A calendar year can be 365 or 366 days, so its seconds can be 31,536,000 or 31,622,400.
A “365-day year” is fixed at 31,536,000 seconds, even if the real year is a leap year.
A leap second adds 1 extra second when it happens. It doesn’t happen every year, and it isn’t scheduled on a fixed pattern.
If your work needs leap seconds (like timekeeping systems), treat them as separate additions, not part of the basic year-to-seconds formula.
If accuracy matters, define the year type before converting.
You can get an exact number only if the year length is clearly defined, such as:
Without that detail, the result is an estimate.
The Calculate Box tool to convert years to seconds uses the open source script Convert.js to convert units of measurement. To use this tool, simply type a years value in the box and have it instantly converted to seconds.