On average, everyone shares their birthday with around 21 million people across the planet – unless, of course, you’re born on a Leap Day, which only comes once every four years on the elusive Feb. 29. It’s estimated that worldwide, around five million people – dubbed “Leaplings” – have a Feb. 29 birthday (in the US, it’s about 187,000 people).
This year, Leaplings all over the world got to celebrate their birthdays on the actual date of their birth; so in celebration of this extra day of 2020, keep reading to learn more about babies born on Leap Day.
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What Are the Chances of a Baby Being Born on Leap Day?
The chances of a baby being born on Leap Day is pretty slim: about one in 1,461, as Feb. 29 only comes around once every 1,461 days. And if a baby is born during a Leap Year, the chance of their birthday falling on Feb. 29 is a one in 366 chance (but of course, it all completely depends on when the baby was conceived). For everyone else not born on Feb. 29, the odds of them having their specific birth date is one in 365, as all of the other days occur every year!
If You Are Born on a Leap Day, When Is Your Birthday?
If you’re born on a Leap Day, the birth date on your birth certificate will read Feb. 29, but when you celebrate your birthday on a non-Leap Year is technically up to you! Some parents choose to celebrate their Leap Day babies on Feb. 28 because it’s still the correct birth month, but some go March 1 if baby was born late on Feb. 29. Either way, your birthday will always be Feb. 29, whether the day happens or not! (And no, that doesn’t make you 16 on your 64th birthday, but it does make for a great excuse to have a big Sweet 16 birthday party in your 60s, no?)
How Many Babies Were Born on Leap Day 2020?
There are over 10,000 babies born per day in the US on average and about 360,000 a day across the entire planet. Although the official data on how many Leap babies were born across the US on this Feb. 29 is unclear as of now, since it’s technically just another day, the stats are probably very similar!
