Daylight Saving Time around the world
If you map the world by who observes daylight saving time, you get a striking pattern: most observers cluster in temperate northern hemisphere latitudes (Europe, North America, parts of Australia, New Zealand). Tropical and southern regions overwhelmingly skip it. Russia, China, and India — three of the world's largest countries — all skip it.
For a complete schedule of DST shifts in any country, the DST calendar is the reference.
North America
United States. Observes DST from second Sunday of March (2 AM) to first Sunday of November (2 AM). Hawaii and most of Arizona don't observe.
Canada. Observes DST same dates as US. Most of Saskatchewan, Yukon, and parts of BC, Quebec, and Ontario don't observe.
Mexico. Most of country abolished DST in 2022. Border states (those near the US, like Tijuana and Ciudad Juárez) still observe to align with US.
Caribbean. Most don't observe. Cuba and the Bahamas observe. Most other Caribbean nations don't.
South America
Brazil. Abolished DST in 2019. Permanent UTC-3 nationwide.
Argentina. Doesn't observe DST.
Chile. Mainland Chile observes DST September to April (their summer). Easter Island observes a different schedule.
Paraguay. Observes DST October to March.
Peru, Colombia, Venezuela. Don't observe.
Bolivia, Ecuador. Don't observe.
Europe
European Union (all 27 member states). Observes DST from last Sunday of March to last Sunday of October. Schedule is harmonized across all members. Voted to abolish in 2018-2019 but implementation stalled.
United Kingdom. Observes DST same dates as EU (last Sunday of March to last Sunday of October).
Switzerland, Norway, Iceland. Switzerland and Norway observe DST aligned with EU. Iceland is on permanent UTC+0 (no DST since 1968).
Russia. Abolished DST in 2011. Now permanent winter time across all 11 zones.
Belarus, Ukraine. Observe DST aligned with EU dates.
Turkey. Abolished DST in 2016. Permanent UTC+3 (effectively permanent summer time).
Africa
Most of Africa doesn't observe DST. Tropical/subtropical latitudes mean little benefit.
Egypt. Tried adding DST in 2023, abolished in 2024.
Morocco. Observes DST seasonally with adjustments around Ramadan (the schedule shifts during Ramadan to keep prayer times reasonable).
South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe. None observe DST.
Middle East
Israel, Palestine. Observe DST.
Lebanon. Observes DST.
Jordan, Iraq, Syria. Don't observe.
Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain. Don't observe.
Iran. Abolished DST in 2022.
Turkey. Abolished DST in 2016.
Asia
China, Japan, Korea (both), Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau. Don't observe.
India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, Afghanistan. Don't observe.
Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar. Don't observe.
Mongolia. Observed DST until 2017, then abolished, then re-introduced briefly. Currently doesn't observe.
Russia (Asian regions). Doesn't observe (same as European Russia).
No country in Southeast or East Asia observes DST.
Oceania
Australia. Split observance.
- Observe DST: New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, ACT
- Skip DST: Queensland, Western Australia, Northern Territory
DST in Australia runs October (start of southern summer) to April. Spring forward at 2 AM, fall back at 3 AM.
New Zealand. Observes DST late September to early April. Mainland and Chatham Islands both observe.
Fiji. Observed DST until 2021, then abolished.
Most other Pacific island nations. Don't observe.
Antarctica
Each research station picks its own time, usually aligned with its supply chain (e.g., McMurdo and South Pole use New Zealand time, including DST).
Notable patterns
Latitude correlates strongly with observance. Countries near the equator skip DST overwhelmingly. Countries above 30° observe more often.
Big countries with single time zones often skip. China and India both opted for unified national time and skip DST. Russia abolished partly to maintain consistency across its 11 zones.
Recent abolitions are concentrated. Mexico (2022), Brazil (2019), Russia (2011), Iran (2022), Turkey (2016), Egypt (2024). The trend is toward abolition.
The EU and US are the holdouts. Despite votes and proposals, neither has actually abolished biannual changes.
How DST schedules ripple through software
When a country changes its DST schedule (or abolishes), the IANA tz database is updated. The new release propagates through OS updates, programming language libraries, and database systems over weeks to months. Most modern devices update automatically; older ones may need manual updates.
Companies operating across multiple regions monitor IANA releases. Major changes (like Mexico abolishing in 2022) can affect calendar systems, scheduling tools, and time-aware applications.
How this affects scheduling
Cross-region meetings should anchor to UTC where possible. The meeting planner handles DST for any zone pair on any date, automatically applying the correct rules.
For looking up "what time is it in [country] right now," the world clock is the easiest tool.
FAQ
Why does the EU still observe DST after voting to abolish it?
The 2019 European Parliament vote was non-binding. The Council of the European Union (the body of national governments) needed to formally adopt it. They didn't. COVID-19 derailed the process. Implementation has stalled.
When is the next country likely to abolish DST?
Hard to predict. Several US states have laws on the books pending federal approval. Brazilian states sometimes consider re-introducing. The EU might revive its abolition. None has obvious imminent action.
Are there any countries where DST observance varies by region?
Yes — the US (some states skip), Canada (some provinces skip), Australia (some states skip), and Mexico (border states still observe, most of country doesn't).
Why does Morocco shift its DST around Ramadan?
To keep prayer times convenient. Ramadan involves dawn-to-sunset fasting; clocks shift to make those times reasonable for daily life.
Will the trend toward abolition continue?
Probably yes. Most recent shifts have been toward abolition, not adoption. The political and health arguments against DST are increasingly persuasive.
What's the most "weird" DST observance?
Lord Howe Island (Australia) — the only place that shifts by 30 minutes instead of 60. UTC+10:30 in winter, UTC+11 in summer.
Bottom line
DST observance is concentrated in the temperate northern hemisphere (Europe, North America, parts of Australia/NZ). The vast majority of countries — by population and by area — don't observe DST. The trend is toward abolition.
For checking specific countries' DST schedules, the DST calendar is the reference; for converting times across DST and non-DST zones, the time converter handles it automatically.