As the world prepares to enter 2026, countries will mark the new year at different times because of their position on the globe. Earth takes one full year to orbit the Sun, but its 24‑hour rotation determines when each region sees the first sunrise of January 1.
The first places to welcome the new year are the countries and islands just west of the International Date Line (IDL). The Line Islands in Kiribati are the earliest to enter 2026. Kiribati has followed this schedule since 1995, when it shifted its time zone eastward. It is also the only country with land in all four hemispheres.
Several Pacific nations follow Kiribati, including Samoa, Tonga, Tokelau, and New Zealand. Russia, Fiji, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, and Wallis and Futuna come next. Tuvalu, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Guam, Micronesia, and the Northern Mariana Islands follow soon after.
In Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Japan, and North Korea are the first to reach the new year.
Below is the order in which countries reach January 1, based on UTC time, leading up to India:
- Kiribati — 12:00 AM Jan 1
- Samoa — 11:00 PM Dec 31
- Tonga — 11:00 PM Dec 31
- Tokelau — 11:00 PM Dec 31
- New Zealand — 10:45 PM Dec 31
- Russia — 10:00 PM Dec 31
- Fiji — 10:00 PM Dec 31
- Marshall Islands — 10:00 PM Dec 31
- Nauru — 10:00 PM Dec 31
- Wallis and Futuna — 10:00 PM Dec 31
- Tuvalu — 10:00 PM Dec 31
- Australia — 9:30 PM Dec 31
- Papua New Guinea — 9:00 PM Dec 31
- Guam — 9:00 PM Dec 31
- Micronesia — 9:00 PM Dec 31
- Northern Mariana Islands — 9:00 PM Dec 31
- Indonesia — 7:00 PM Dec 31
- Japan — 7:00 PM Dec 31
- South Korea — 7:00 PM Dec 31
- North Korea — 7:00 PM Dec 31
- Timor‑Leste — 7:00 PM Dec 31
- Palau — 7:00 PM Dec 31
- China — 6:00 PM Dec 31
- Philippines — 6:00 PM Dec 31
- Malaysia — 6:00 PM Dec 31
- Taiwan — 6:00 PM Dec 31
- Hong Kong — 6:00 PM Dec 31
- Singapore — 6:00 PM Dec 31
- Mongolia — 6:00 PM Dec 31
- Macau — 6:00 PM Dec 31
- Brunei — 6:00 PM Dec 31
- Vietnam — 5:00 PM Dec 31
- Thailand — 5:00 PM Dec 31
- Cambodia — 5:00 PM Dec 31
- Laos — 5:00 PM Dec 31
- Myanmar — 4:30 PM Dec 31
- Bangladesh — 4:00 PM Dec 31
- Kazakhstan — 4:00 PM Dec 31
- Kyrgyzstan — 4:00 PM Dec 31
- Bhutan — 4:00 PM Dec 31
- Nepal — 3:45 PM Dec 31
- India — 3:30 PM Dec 31
The Cook Islands are the last to welcome the new year, reaching midnight on December 31 after most of the world has already entered 2026.
