which countries drive on the left side of the road
Most of the world drives on the right, but a significant minority of countries and territories (a bit under 80 in total) drive on the left side of the road.
Big picture
- Roughly 25–30% of countries and territories use left-side (left-hand) traffic.
- These are heavily concentrated in:
- The UK and a few other parts of Europe
- Much of South and Southeast Asia
- Large parts of southern and eastern Africa
- Australia, New Zealand and many Pacific islands
- Many Caribbean islands and a few in the Atlantic.
Main countries that drive on the left
Here are some of the best-known left-driving countries and territories, by region (not a complete list but covers the most commonly asked ones).
- Europe & nearby
- United Kingdom, Ireland
- Cyprus, Malta
- Channel Islands (Jersey, Guernsey), Isle of Man.
- Asia
- India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan
- Japan
- Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore
- Indonesia, East Timor
- Hong Kong, Macau, Maldives.
- Africa
- South Africa, Botswana, Namibia
- Lesotho, Eswatini (Swaziland)
- Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
- Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi
- Mozambique, Mauritius.
- Oceania & Pacific
- Australia, New Zealand
- Fiji, Samoa, Tonga
- Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands
- Kiribati, Tuvalu, Nauru, Niue, Cook Islands, Tokelau, Norfolk Island, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands.
- Caribbean & Atlantic
- Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago
- Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada
- Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Anguilla, Montserrat, Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands
- Bermuda, Falkland Islands, Saint Helena
- U.S. Virgin Islands.
- Americas (mainland)
- Guyana and Suriname in South America.
Simple regional table
| Region | Examples of left-driving places |
|---|---|
| Europe | UK, Ireland, Cyprus, Malta, Channel Islands, Isle of Man |
| Asia | India, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka |
| Africa | South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, Mauritius |
| Oceania | Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Tonga |
| Caribbean/Atlantic | Bahamas, Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, BVI, USVI |
| Americas (mainland) | Guyana, Suriname |
Why these countries drive on the left
- Many are former parts of the British Empire, which standardized left-side traffic across its territories in the 19th century.
- A few others chose left-side driving later to align with left-driving neighbors (for example, Samoa switched from right to left in 2009 to match Australia and New Zealand).
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.
