Year 536 (DXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known in the Roman Empire as the Year after the Consulship of Belisarius.

In 2018, medieval scholar Michael McCormick nominated 536 as "the worst year to be alive" because of the volcanic winter of 536 caused by a volcanic eruption early in the year, causing average temperatures in Europe and China to decline and resulting in crop failures and famine for well over a year.