Which countries don't observe Daylight Saving Time?

Roughly 70 countries observe daylight saving time. The other 130-plus don't. If you assume "DST = normal," you're actually in the global minority. Most of the world's population — including the 1.4 billion in India, the 1.4 billion in China, the 230 million in Pakistan, and most of Africa — never shifts the clock.

For checking DST status anywhere in the world, the DST calendar shows current rules by country. The rest of this post lists who skips DST and why.

The big non-observers

India (1.4B people). Never adopted DST. Tropical/subtropical latitudes mean day length doesn't vary dramatically. Multiple proposals over decades; all rejected for being more disruptive than beneficial.

China (1.4B). Used DST briefly (1986–1991), then abolished. Single national time zone (UTC+8) and political preference for stable, simple time-keeping won out.

Pakistan (230M). Tried DST in 2002 and 2008–2009; both attempts were abandoned. No DST since 2009.

Bangladesh (170M). Tried it once in 2009. Abolished after a year.

Indonesia (270M). Never observed DST.

Most of Africa. Egypt is the headline exception (added DST in 2023, abolished it again in 2024). South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, Tanzania — all skip DST. Tropical latitudes mean little benefit.

Russia (143M). Abolished in 2011 after a brief permanent-summer-time experiment. Now permanent winter time year-round.

Brazil (215M). Abolished in 2019. Earlier observation was contentious (energy savings disputed, agricultural disruption).

Argentina, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela. Most of South America skips DST.

Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria. All skip DST. Arabian Peninsula countries cite geographic location and the lunar Islamic calendar as reasons.

Iran abolished DST in 2022.

Egypt had a complicated history — added it 2023, abolished 2024.

US states and territories that skip DST

Within the United States:

- Hawaii — no DST. Tropical, low latitude.
- Most of Arizona — no DST. Hot enough that "more daylight" means "more heat."
- The Navajo Nation reservation (within Arizona) — observes DST despite Arizona's exemption, because the reservation extends into other states that observe.
- US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands — none observe DST.

A few US states have laws to switch to permanent DST (Florida, California, Tennessee, etc.) but they need federal approval, which hasn't been granted.

Canadian provinces that skip DST

- Most of Saskatchewan — permanent CST (effectively permanent DST relative to Mountain Time).
- Yukon — moved to permanent Mountain Standard Time (no DST shift) in 2020.
- Parts of British Columbia (Atlin, Fort Nelson, Cranbrook area) — no DST.
- Parts of Quebec (eastern North Shore region) — no DST.
- Parts of Ontario (Pickle Lake area) — no DST.

Australia — the split country

Australian states are split:

- Observe DST: New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, ACT.
- Skip DST: Queensland, Western Australia, Northern Territory.

The split is roughly along latitude and political lines. The northern, hotter states find DST less beneficial. Queensland has had multiple referendums on adopting DST; voters keep saying no.

Why countries skip DST

Common reasons:

1. Latitude. Closer to the equator, day length doesn't vary much across seasons. DST's "extra evening daylight" benefit is small. Tropical countries usually skip.

2. Energy economics. Original 1916 argument was DST saves energy. Modern studies are mixed. Some find tiny savings, some find tiny losses (more A/C in summer evenings offsets less lighting). Countries reading the data usually conclude DST isn't worth the disruption.

3. Political simplicity. No DST means no biannual clock change, no rule debates, no software updates, no public confusion. Many governments find this easier.

4. Religious/cultural calendars. In Muslim-majority countries, prayer times depend on sun position. DST adds a layer of complication that some governments choose to avoid.

5. Health concerns. Studies link DST shifts (especially spring-forward) to short-term increases in heart attacks, strokes, and traffic accidents. Some countries cite this.

The trend toward abolition

The general direction is toward abolition. Recent abolitions:

- Mexico (2022, most states)
- Brazil (2019)
- Russia (2011)
- Iran (2022)
- Egypt (2024, after briefly reintroducing)

The European Union voted to abolish DST in 2018, but implementation has stalled (member states need to coordinate which permanent time to pick). The US Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act in 2022 and 2024, but the House didn't follow.

If current trends continue, by ~2035 the only countries observing DST may be the EU (still working out implementation), parts of the US, parts of Canada, parts of Australia, and New Zealand.

How this affects international scheduling

If you're scheduling across multiple regions, knowing who observes DST and who doesn't is essential. The classic gotcha: a meeting that's normally 10 PM in your time zone shifts to 11 PM (or 9 PM) for someone in a region that observes DST when you don't (or vice versa).

The meeting planner handles all of this — it knows which zones observe DST and applies the right offset for the date you pick.

FAQ

Is the US the only country with split DST observance within its borders?

No. Australia, Canada, Brazil (when it observed), Russia (when it observed), and Mexico all have or had split observance. The US is unusual in keeping the split for so long.

Does the EU still observe DST in 2026?

Yes. The 2018 abolition vote hasn't been implemented because member states haven't agreed on whether to permanently use winter or summer time. Implementation may happen in the late 2020s or early 2030s.

Why did Mexico abolish DST?

Mexican federal government cited public health (sleep disruption, traffic accidents) and energy savings being smaller than expected. Border states still observe DST to align with the US.

Will my country abolish DST?

Depends. The political will exists in many countries; the implementation is slow. Watch your country's news around DST shift dates — that's when the topic gets political attention.

How do I know if a country observes DST?

The DST calendar lists current rules. Or check the time-in-{country} page for any country.

What's the difference between "abolishing DST" and "permanent DST"?

"Abolishing DST" means the clock stops shifting, settling on either winter time or summer time year-round. "Permanent DST" specifically means year-round summer time (e.g., the US Sunshine Protection Act would put the country on permanent DST). "Permanent winter time" means year-round standard time. Both are forms of abolition.

Bottom line

Most of the world doesn't observe daylight saving time. The countries that do are concentrated in temperate latitudes (Europe, North America, parts of Australia). Tropical countries, most of Africa, most of Asia, and much of Latin America skip it.

For checking who observes DST in 2026, the DST calendar has the full list with dates.