The world's sunniest countries in 2026, ranked

Name: The world's sunniest countries 2026 — Sunshine Atlas ranking
Creator: Sunshine Atlas
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

67 countries ranked by their average annual sunshine across every flyable destination, from long-term climate normals, by Sunshine Atlas. Published July 2026. Prefer to zoom in? See Europe's sunniest countries.

Key findings
• 🇪🇬 Egypt is the world's sunniest country: 3,679 hours a year on average, led by Marsa Alam (3,958 h).
• United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia complete the top three, at 3,429 and 3,345 h.
• Best for winter sun: 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates, 98/100 on the November–February Sunshine Score.

The full ranking — annual sunshine

#	Country	Avg sun h/yr	Sunniest city	Flyable spots
1	🇪🇬 Egypt	3,679	Marsa Alam 3,958 h	8
2	🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates	3,429	Dubai 3,509 h	4
3	🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia	3,345	Al-Jawf 3,679 h	13
4	🇴🇲 Oman	3,251	Muscat/Seeb 3,460 h	3
5	🇮🇶 Iraq	3,206	Najaf 3,592 h	5
6	🇩🇿 Algeria	3,145	Tamanrasset 3,686 h	10
7	🇨🇾 Cyprus	3,110	Larnaca 3,154 h	3
8	🇵🇰 Pakistan	2,993	Multan 3,110 h	5
9	🇦🇺 Australia	2,960	Karratha 3,635 h	25
10	🇹🇳 Tunisia	2,925	Zarzis 3,154 h	4
11	🇮🇷 Iran	2,921	Shiraz 3,285 h	19
12	🇲🇦 Morocco	2,870	Marrakesh 3,131 h	10
13	🇿🇦 South Africa	2,836	Johannesburg 3,124 h	4
14	🇬🇷 Greece	2,797	Kos 3,110 h	18
15	🇹🇿 Tanzania	2,775	Zanzibar 2,838 h	3
16	🇨🇱 Chile	2,773	Calama 3,926 h	12
17	🇹🇷 Türkiye	2,769	Bodrum 3,154 h	30
18	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	2,759	Punta Cana 2,978 h	3
19	🇺🇿 Uzbekistan	2,719	Bukhara 2,891 h	6
20	🇺🇸 United States	2,662	Phoenix 3,872 h	194
21	🇮🇳 India	2,632	Ahmedabad 3,066 h	39
22	🇲🇽 Mexico	2,573	Mexicali 3,679 h	42
23	🇧🇴 Bolivia	2,526	Santa Cruz 2,672 h	3
24	🇦🇷 Argentina	2,495	Mendoza 2,872 h	6
25	🇹🇭 Thailand	2,471	Ubon Ratchathani 2,759 h	15
26	🇪🇸 Spain	2,450	Seville 3,279 h	31
27	🇭🇳 Honduras	2,438	San Pedro Sula 2,628 h	3
28	🇰🇿 Kazakhstan	2,420	Shymkent 2,716 h	7
29	🇮🇩 Indonesia	2,384	Denpasar 3,373 h	46
30	🇰🇷 South Korea	2,323	Daegu 2,540 h	10
31	🇵🇭 Philippines	2,321	Mabalacat 2,540 h	19
32	🇵🇹 Portugal	2,321	Faro 3,044 h	6
33	🇧🇩 Bangladesh	2,301	Dhaka 2,435 h	5
34	🇧🇷 Brazil	2,292	Fortaleza 2,804 h	44
35	🇲🇾 Malaysia	2,282	Penang 2,453 h	10
36	🇳🇵 Nepal	2,269	Nepalgunj 2,540 h	5
37	🇵🇪 Peru	2,266	Arequipa 3,333 h	15
38	🇮🇹 Italy	2,252	Lampedusa 3,022 h	30
39	🇧🇬 Bulgaria	2,194	Varna 2,345 h	3
40	🇨🇳 China	2,163	Hami 3,241 h	158
41	🇭🇷 Croatia	2,140	Split 2,631 h	6
42	🇻🇳 Vietnam	2,092	Ho Chi Minh City 2,489 h	18
43	🇳🇬 Nigeria	2,075	Kano 3,114 h	6
44	🇬🇪 Georgia	2,069	Batumi 2,278 h	3
45	🇫🇷 France	2,060	Nice 2,760 h	27
46	🇷🇺 Russia	2,036	Chita 2,676 h	64
47	🇨🇦 Canada	1,994	Yellowknife 2,538 h	31
48	🇨🇴 Colombia	1,986	Barranquilla 2,561 h	19
49	🇳🇿 New Zealand	1,960	Blenheim 2,190 h	10
50	🇦🇹 Austria	1,867	Vienna 2,048 h	4
51	🇧🇦 Bosnia & Herzegovina	1,858	Banja Luka 1,927 h	3
52	🇩🇰 Denmark	1,852	Copenhagen 1,912 h	4
53	🇷🇴 Romania	1,849	Craiova 2,015 h	10
54	🇹🇼 Taiwan	1,840	Kaohsiung (Xiaogang) 2,015 h	7
55	🇯🇵 Japan	1,808	Shizuoka 2,059 h	46
56	🇺🇦 Ukraine	1,801	Simferopol 2,146 h	5
57	🇸🇪 Sweden	1,711	Stockholm 1,803 h	5
58	🇨🇭 Switzerland	1,677	Geneva 1,887 h	3
59	🇳🇱 Netherlands	1,663	Amsterdam 1,779 h	3
60	🇫🇮 Finland	1,586	Helsinki (Vantaa) 1,858 h	5
61	🇵🇱 Poland	1,585	Warsaw 1,997 h	11
62	🇨🇿 Czechia	1,549	Prague 1,668 h	3
63	🇩🇪 Germany	1,529	Dresden 1,770 h	20
64	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	1,497	Southampton 1,706 h	21
65	🇳🇴 Norway	1,491	Sandefjord(Torp) 1,776 h	13
66	🇮🇪 Ireland	1,360	Dublin 1,453 h	4
67	🇨🇻 Cape Verde	1,007	Praia 1,139 h	4

Some places are sunnier still but have too few flyable destinations to rank fairly — e.g. Sudan (3,737 h at Khartoum), Namibia (3,504 h at Windhoek), Qatar (3,416 h at Doha).

Explore all 3,833 destinations on the interactive globe →

Where the winter sun is — the world's winter-sun countries

The same countries re-ranked by the November–February Sunshine Score (daytime warmth × dryness × sunshine).

#	Country	Winter sun /100	Sunniest city	Flyable spots
1	🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates	98	Dubai 3,509 h	4
2	🇴🇲 Oman	96	Muscat/Seeb 3,460 h	3
3	🇪🇬 Egypt	95	Marsa Alam 3,958 h	8
4	🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia	94	Al-Jawf 3,679 h	13
5	🇵🇰 Pakistan	88	Multan 3,110 h	5
6	🇧🇩 Bangladesh	88	Dhaka 2,435 h	5
7	🇲🇽 Mexico	87	Mexicali 3,679 h	42
8	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	86	Punta Cana 2,978 h	3
9	🇮🇳 India	86	Ahmedabad 3,066 h	39
10	🇿🇦 South Africa	84	Johannesburg 3,124 h	4
11	🇨🇱 Chile	82	Calama 3,926 h	12
12	🇳🇬 Nigeria	82	Kano 3,114 h	6
13	🇹🇭 Thailand	81	Ubon Ratchathani 2,759 h	15
14	🇳🇵 Nepal	80	Nepalgunj 2,540 h	5
15	🇻🇳 Vietnam	79	Ho Chi Minh City 2,489 h	18
16	🇹🇿 Tanzania	78	Zanzibar 2,838 h	3
17	🇨🇻 Cape Verde	78	Praia 1,139 h	4
18	🇭🇳 Honduras	76	San Pedro Sula 2,628 h	3
19	🇦🇷 Argentina	75	Mendoza 2,872 h	6
20	🇵🇪 Peru	75	Arequipa 3,333 h	15
21	🇦🇺 Australia	73	Karratha 3,635 h	25
22	🇨🇴 Colombia	73	Barranquilla 2,561 h	19
23	🇹🇼 Taiwan	71	Kaohsiung (Xiaogang) 2,015 h	7
24	🇵🇭 Philippines	70	Mabalacat 2,540 h	19
25	🇧🇷 Brazil	69	Fortaleza 2,804 h	44
26	🇳🇿 New Zealand	69	Blenheim 2,190 h	10
27	🇲🇾 Malaysia	67	Penang 2,453 h	10
28	🇩🇿 Algeria	66	Tamanrasset 3,686 h	10
29	🇧🇴 Bolivia	66	Santa Cruz 2,672 h	3
30	🇮🇩 Indonesia	66	Denpasar 3,373 h	46
31	🇮🇶 Iraq	63	Najaf 3,592 h	5
32	🇹🇳 Tunisia	61	Zarzis 3,154 h	4
33	🇲🇦 Morocco	61	Marrakesh 3,131 h	10
34	🇨🇾 Cyprus	51	Larnaca 3,154 h	3
35	🇮🇷 Iran	51	Shiraz 3,285 h	19
36	🇵🇹 Portugal	48	Faro 3,044 h	6
37	🇪🇸 Spain	42	Seville 3,279 h	31
38	🇬🇷 Greece	35	Kos 3,110 h	18
39	🇺🇸 United States	25	Phoenix 3,872 h	194
40	🇨🇳 China	23	Hami 3,241 h	158
41	🇮🇹 Italy	22	Lampedusa 3,022 h	30
42	🇯🇵 Japan	19	Shizuoka 2,059 h	46
43	🇹🇷 Türkiye	17	Bodrum 3,154 h	30
44	🇫🇷 France	12	Nice 2,760 h	27
45	🇬🇪 Georgia	10	Batumi 2,278 h	3
46	🇰🇷 South Korea	8	Daegu 2,540 h	10
47	🇺🇿 Uzbekistan	7	Bukhara 2,891 h	6
48	🇭🇷 Croatia	7	Split 2,631 h	6
49	🇧🇬 Bulgaria	6	Varna 2,345 h	3
50	🇧🇦 Bosnia & Herzegovina	3	Banja Luka 1,927 h	3
51	🇮🇪 Ireland	3	Dublin 1,453 h	4
52	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	2	Southampton 1,706 h	21
53	🇰🇿 Kazakhstan	1	Shymkent 2,716 h	7
54	🇷🇴 Romania	1	Craiova 2,015 h	10
55	🇺🇦 Ukraine	1	Simferopol 2,146 h	5
56	🇳🇱 Netherlands	1	Amsterdam 1,779 h	3
57	🇷🇺 Russia	0	Chita 2,676 h	64
58	🇨🇦 Canada	0	Yellowknife 2,538 h	31
59	🇦🇹 Austria	0	Vienna 2,048 h	4
60	🇩🇰 Denmark	0	Copenhagen 1,912 h	4
61	🇸🇪 Sweden	0	Stockholm 1,803 h	5
62	🇨🇭 Switzerland	0	Geneva 1,887 h	3
63	🇫🇮 Finland	0	Helsinki (Vantaa) 1,858 h	5
64	🇵🇱 Poland	0	Warsaw 1,997 h	11
65	🇨🇿 Czechia	0	Prague 1,668 h	3
66	🇩🇪 Germany	0	Dresden 1,770 h	20
67	🇳🇴 Norway	0	Sandefjord(Torp) 1,776 h	13

Methodology

Each country's figure is the average across its flyable destinations — every metro-primary airport the atlas covers — from long-term climate normals (CRU climatology), not a forecast. It reflects the sunshine across the places you can actually fly to, not a meteorological national average. Countries with fewer than 3 such destinations aren't ranked (too few to average fairly). The winter table uses the 0–100 Sunshine Score averaged over November–February. See also Europe's sunniest countries and the sunniest European cities.

Republish this data

Free to use under CC BY 4.0: credit Sunshine Atlas and link to this page. Download the full ranking as CSV: sunshine-atlas-sunniest-countries.csv (67 countries, annual hours + winter scores).

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