US Trends

who does daylight savings in the world

Most of the world does not use daylight saving time; roughly one‑third of countries still change their clocks, mainly in Europe, North America, and parts of South America, Asia, and Oceania.

Quick Scoop: Who does daylight savings in the world?

Think of daylight saving time (DST) as a club that a lot of countries used to belong to, but many have since quit. Today, membership is surprisingly limited.

Big picture

  • Only about one-third of the world’s countries currently observe daylight saving time.
  • The majority of DST countries are in Europe , followed by North America, plus scattered countries in South America, Asia, Oceania and a few in Africa.
  • About half of all countries tried DST in the past but stopped , often citing health concerns, limited energy savings, or public annoyance with clock changes.

In other words, “who does daylight savings in the world?” is a shrinking list, not a growing one.

Where DST is common today

1. Europe (the main stronghold)

  • Most European Union countries still change clocks twice a year (spring forward, fall back).
  • Notable European non‑DST holdouts include Russia, Belarus, Iceland, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia , which either switched to permanent standard time or permanent “summer” time.

2. North America

  • United States and Canada: Most regions observe DST, with some exceptions (for example, parts of Canada’s far north and certain U.S. states/territories that stick to one time year‑round).
  • Mexico: In 2022, Mexico largely abolished DST, keeping it only in some border cities aligned with U.S. time changes.

3. South America

  • A limited number of South American countries still use DST; others tried it and dropped it.
  • Over the past decade, countries like Uruguay and Namibia have ended their seasonal clock changes.

4. Asia, Africa, Oceania

  • Parts of the Middle East and Central Asia used DST but several have recently stopped; Iran, Jordan, Azerbaijan, Syria and others ended seasonal changes in the last decade.
  • Australia has DST in some states, but not all; other Oceanian countries (like Samoa) used DST and then abandoned it.
  • In Africa , very few countries still observe DST; many tried it mid‑20th century and then reverted permanently to standard time.

Sample regions using vs not using DST

Below is a simplified snapshot (not exhaustive) to give you a feel for “who does daylight savings in the world.”

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Region</th>
      <th>Examples that use DST</th>
      <th>Examples that do not use DST / ended it</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Europe</td>
      <td>Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Sweden (all still change clocks seasonally)[web:1][web:5][web:7]</td>
      <td>Russia, Belarus, Iceland, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia (no seasonal clock changes)[web:3][web:5][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>North America</td>
      <td>Most of U.S. and Canada (with some regional exceptions), some Mexican border cities aligned to U.S. DST[web:2][web:3][web:9]</td>
      <td>Most of Mexico since 2022 (DST abolished nationally except specific zones)[web:3][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>South America</td>
      <td>Selected countries/provinces at higher latitudes still use DST seasonally[web:2][web:7]</td>
      <td>Uruguay and others that have discontinued DST in past decades[web:7][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Asia</td>
      <td>Some countries have used DST historically or in limited periods (e.g., parts of the Middle East)[web:2][web:7]</td>
      <td>Azerbaijan, Iran, Jordan, Syria (ended DST in the last decade)[web:3][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Africa</td>
      <td>Very few; some North African states have experimented with DST in specific years[web:7]</td>
      <td>Most African countries (either never used DST or dropped it long ago)[web:7][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Oceania</td>
      <td>Parts of Australia, New Zealand and a few nearby territories historically or currently using DST[web:1][web:2][web:7]</td>
      <td>Samoa (used DST 2010–2021, then stopped), several Pacific island nations that do not change clocks[web:7][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Why the world is moving away from DST

Many countries that used to “do daylight savings” decided it wasn’t worth the hassle.

Common reasons given:

  1. Limited energy savings
    • The original argument was that shifting clocks would save electricity by using more evening daylight.
 * Modern studies show the effect is small or inconsistent, especially with air conditioning and modern lighting.
  1. Health and sleep concerns
    • Research and public health experts have raised concerns about disrupted sleep, higher accident risk right after clock changes, and long‑term circadian rhythm issues.
  1. Public frustration and confusion
    • People dislike sudden clock changes and the confusion for travel, business, and technology settings.
 * In several countries (for example, Mexico and parts of Europe and North America), debates have intensified over whether to keep seasonal changes or switch permanently to one time.

Forum-style angle & current chatter

If you looked at forum discussions or trending threads about “who does daylight savings in the world” right now, you’d see a few recurring themes:

  • People in DST countries asking “Why do we still do this when most of the world doesn’t?”
  • Users posting maps showing that large parts of Africa and Asia never change clocks , while Europe and North America still mostly do.
  • Debates over whether countries should choose permanent standard time vs permanent summer time , with arguments about darker winter mornings versus brighter evenings.

A typical forum‑style comment might look like:

“I was today years old when I learned that only about a third of countries still mess with daylight savings, and almost all of them are in Europe or North America.”

Key takeaways (TL;DR)

  • Most of the world does not use daylight saving time.
  • The countries that do are mainly in Europe , much of North America , and scattered parts of South America, Asia, and Oceania.
  • Dozens of countries have stopped seasonal clock changes in the past few decades and now stay on one time all year.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.