Daylight saving time by country explained

Daylight saving time (DST), also known as summer time, is the practice of advancing clocks during part of the year, typically by one hour around spring and summer, so that daylight ends at a later time of the day., DST is observed in most of Europe, most of North America and parts of Africa and Asia around the Northern Hemisphere summer, and in parts of South America and Oceania around the Southern Hemisphere summer. It was also formerly observed in other areas.

Scheduled observance

, the following locations were scheduled to start and end DST at the following times:^[1] ^[2]

Locations	DST end	Shift
style=background:#00FFFF	Bahamas Bermuda Canada, except Yukon, most of Saskatchewan, and parts of British Columbia (northeast), Nunavut (Southampton Island), Ontario (Atikokan) and Quebec (Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent) Greenland: Pituffik Space Base Haiti Mexico: Baja California, and municipalities near the U.S. border except in Sonora Saint Pierre and Miquelon Turks and Caicos Islands United States, except Arizona (without Navajo Nation), Hawaii and U.S. territories	data-sort-value=030805	Second Sunday in March at 02:00	data-sort-value=110104	First Sunday in November at 02:00	data-sort-value=1	1 hour
style=background:#00FFFF	Cuba	data-sort-value=030805	Second Sunday in March at 00:00	data-sort-value=110105	First Sunday in November at 01:00	data-sort-value=1	1 hour
style=background:#F8F800	European Union, except Overseas France Akrotiri and Dhekelia Albania Andorra Bosnia and Herzegovina Faroe Islands Gibraltar Greenland, except Pituffik Space Base and east coast of National Park Guernsey Isle of Man Jersey Kosovo Liechtenstein Moldova Monaco Montenegro North Macedonia Northern Cyprus Norway San Marino Serbia Switzerland Transnistria Ukraine, except occupied territories United Kingdom Vatican City	data-sort-value=032501	Last Sunday in March at 01:00 UTC	data-sort-value=102501	Last Sunday in October at 01:00 UTC	data-sort-value=1	1 hour
style=background:#F8F800	Lebanon	data-sort-value=032422	Last Sunday in March at 00:00	data-sort-value=102421	Last Sunday in October at 00:00	data-sort-value=1	1 hour
style=background:#F8F800	Israel	data-sort-value=032300	Friday before last Sunday in March at 02:00	data-sort-value=102423	Last Sunday in October at 02:00	data-sort-value=1	1 hour
style=background:#F8F800	Palestine	data-sort-value=032400	Saturday before last Sunday in March at 02:00	style=width:22.5em data-sort-value=102323	Saturday before last Sunday in October at 02:00	data-sort-value=1	1 hour
style=background:#00E000	Egypt	data-sort-value=042322	Last Friday in April at 00:00	data-sort-value=102521	Last Thursday in October at 24:00	data-sort-value=1	1 hour
style=background:#FF8000	Chile, except Aysén and Magallanes regions	style=width:23.5em data-sort-value=090204	First Saturday in September at 24:00	data-sort-value=040203	First Saturday in April at 24:00	data-sort-value=1	1 hour
style=background:#A040FF	Australia: Australian Capital Territory, Jervis Bay Territory, New South Wales (except Lord Howe Island), Norfolk Island, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria	data-sort-value=093015	First Sunday in October at 02:00	data-sort-value=033115	First Sunday in April at 03:00	data-sort-value=1	1 hour
style=background:#A040FF	Australia: Lord Howe Island	data-sort-value=093015.5	First Sunday in October at 02:00	data-sort-value=033115	First Sunday in April at 02:00	style=width:5.5em data-sort-value=0.5	30 minutes
style=background:#0040FF	New Zealand	data-sort-value=092314	Last Sunday in September at 02:00	data-sort-value=033114	First Sunday in April at 03:00 UTC+13:00	data-sort-value=1	1 hour

In the table above, the DST start and end times refer to the local time before each change occurs, unless otherwise specified. The shift is the amount of time added at the DST start time and subtracted at the DST end time. For example, in Canada and the United States, when DST starts, the local time changes from 02:00 to 03:00, and when DST ends, the local time changes from 02:00 to 01:00. As the time change depends on the time zone, it does not occur simultaneously in all parts of these countries. Conversely, in almost all parts of Europe that observe DST, the time change occurs simultaneously at 01:00 UTC regardless of their time zone.

Morocco, including the portion of Western Sahara that it administers, also observes an annual time change but not related to seasonal daylight. The local time is decreased by one hour on the Sunday before Ramadan at 03:00, and increased by one hour on the Sunday after Ramadan at 02:00 (in 2026, the dates are 15 February and 22 March).^[1]

The part of British Columbia observing UTC−8 is scheduled to change to UTC−7 permanently on 8 March 2026 at 02:00.

Historical observance

Location	Last year of time changes	Notes
		Observed DST since 1939.
		Observed DST in 1940–1943, and since 1974.
	1981	Observed DST in 1916–1921, in the autumn of 1939, in 1944–1945, 1971, 1977–1978, and 1980–1981.
		Observed DST since 1985.
	2009	Observed DST in 1930–1969, 1974, 1988–2000, and 2007–2009.
	2011	Observed DST in 1981–1995, 1997–2011.^[3]
		See main article: Daylight saving time in Australia. DST used only in the Australian Capital Territory, Jervis Bay Territory, New South Wales, Norfolk Island, South Australia, Tasmania, and Victoria.
		Observed DST in 1916–1918, 1920, 1940–1948 (as part of Germany between 1940 and 1945) and since 1980.
	2015	Observed DST in 1981–1992 and 1996–2015.
		Observed DST since 1964.
	2009	Observed DST during World War II from 1942 to 1945 as a part of the Bengal Presidency of India. Also observed in 2009.
	1980	Observed DST from 1977 to 1980.
	2010	Observed DST in 1941–1944, 1981–2010.
		Observed DST in 1916–1940, 1942–1946 and since 1977.
	1983	Observed DST in 1973–1974 and 1982–1983.
		Observed DST since 1974.
	1932	Observed DST in 1931–1932.
		Observed DST in 1916–1918 when it was part of Austria-Hungary, in 1941–1945 and since 1983 when it was part of Yugoslavia or independent.
	1944	Observed DST in 1943–1944.
	2019	Observed DST in 1931–1933, 1949–1953, 1963–1968, and 1985–2019.
		Observed DST in 1943–1944 and since 1979.
		See main article: Daylight saving time in Canada. Yukon, most of Saskatchewan, and parts of British Columbia, Nunavut, Ontario and Quebec do not observe DST. Yukon and most of Saskatchewan use time zones equivalent to permanent DST.^[4]
	1945	Observed DST in 1942–1945.
	1980	Observed DST in winter 1979–1980.
		Observed DST in 1927–1946 (excluding Easter Island, which observed it in 1932–1946) and again, as consequence of hydropower scarcity during the Great Drought of 1968,^[5] ^[6] from 1968 to 2015. Chile observed year-round DST in 2015, but reintroduced regular DST in 2016. Magallanes Region since December 2016 and Aysén Region since March 2025 do not observe DST.
	1991	Observed DST in 1940–1941 (when it was Republic of China) and 1986–1991.
	1993	Observed DST in 1992–1993.
	1991	Observed DST in 1978–1991.
	1992	Observed DST in 1954, 1979–1980 and 1991–1992.
		Observed DST in 1916–1918 when it was part of Austria-Hungary, in 1941–1945 and since 1983 when it was part of Yugoslavia or independent.
		Observed DST in 1928, 1940–1942, 1945–1946, and since 1965.
		Observed DST since 1975.
		Observed DST in 1916–1918 when it was part of Austria-Hungary, 1940–1949 and since 1979 when it was part of Czechoslovakia or independent.
		Observed DST in 1916, 1940–1948, and since 1980.
	1974	Observed DST in 1966–1967, 1969–1974.
		Observed DST in 1940–1945, 1957–2010, 2014, and since 2023.
	1988	Observed DST in 1987–1988.
		Observed DST in 1918, 1940–1944, 1981–1988, 1997–1999, and since 2002.
		Observed DST since 1981.
	2010	Observed DST in 1937–1942 and 1983–2010.
	2021	See main article: Daylight saving time in Fiji. Observed DST in 1998–2000 and 2009–2021.
		Observed DST in 1942 and since 1981.
France		Observed DST in 1916–1945 and since 1976.
	2005	Observed DST in 1981–2005.
		Observed DST in 1916–1918, 1940–1949, and since 1980.
	1942	Observed DST in 1936–1942.
		Observed DST in 1932–1952 and since 1975.
		Observed DST since 1980. Follows European Union practice as part of the Kingdom of Denmark, hence start and end times correspond to 01:00 UTC on the respective Sunday. See Daylight saving time in the Americas—Greenland. The Pituffik Space Base uses the DST schedule of Canada and the United States. Stations on the east coast of Northeast Greenland National Park do not observe DST.
	2006	Observed DST in 1973–1974, 1983, 1991, and 2006.
		Observed DST in 1916–1968 and since 1972.
		Observed DST in 1983–1997, 2005–2006, 2012–2015, and since 2017.
	2006	Observed DST in 1987–1988 and 2006.
	1979	Observed DST in 1941, 1945–1976, and 1979.
		Observed DST in 1916–1920, 1941–1950, 1954–1957, and since 1980.
	1968	Observed DST in 1917–1918 and 1939–1968.
	1945	Observed DST during World War II from 1941 to 1945. Briefly observed during the Sino-Indian War of 1962 and the Indo–Pakistani Wars of 1965 and 1971.
	2007	Observed DST in 1982–2007.
	2022	See main article: Daylight saving time in Iran. Observed DST in 1977–1980, 1991–2005, and 2008–2022.
		Observed DST in 1916–1968 and since 1972.
		Observed DST in 1916–1968 and since 1972.
		See main article: Israel Summer Time. Observed DST in 1940–1946, 1948–1957, 1974–1975, 1980, and since 1984.
		Observed DST in 1916–1920, 1940–1948, and since 1966.
	1983	Observed DST in 1974–1983.
	1951	Observed DST in 1948–1951.
		Observed DST in 1916–1968 and since 1971.
	2022	Observed DST with annual time changes in 1973–1978 and 1985–2011, permanently in 2012–2013, with annual time changes in 2014–2022, and permanently since 2022.
	2004	Observed DST in 1981–1990 and 1992–2004.
Kosovo		Observed DST 1941–1945 and since 1983 when it was part of Yugoslavia, Serbia and Montenegro, Serbia or independent.
	2005	Observed DST in 1981–2005.
		Observed DST in 1918–1919, 1941–1944, and since 1981.
		Observed DST in 1920–1923, 1957–1961, 1972–1978, and since 1984.
	1944	Observed DST in 1943–1944.
	2013	Observed DST in 1951–1959, 1982–1989, 1996–1997, and 2012–2013.
		Observed DST since 1981.
		Observed DST in 1941–1944, 1981–1999, and since 2003.
		Observed DST in 1916–1946 and since 1977.
	1979	Observed DST in 1941–1943, 1945–1976 and 1979.
	1954	Observed DST in 1954.
	1936	Observed DST in 1933–1936. The time zone in Malaysia also changed many times in the past.
		Observed DST in 1916–1920, 1940–1948, and since 1966.
	1980	Observed DST in 1980.
	2009	Observed DST in 1982–1983 and 2008–2009.
		See main article: Daylight saving time in Mexico. Baja California started observing DST in 1976. Durango, Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas observed DST in 1988. The whole country started observing DST in 1996, but Sonora discontinued the observance after 1998, Quintana Roo after 2014, and the rest of the country after 2022, except Baja California and municipalities near the U.S. border in Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas, which continued observing DST according to the U.S. schedule.
	1956	Observed DST in 1956.
		Observed DST in 1932–1944, 1981–1989, and since 1991.
		Observed DST in 1916–1945 and since 1976.
	2016	Observed DST in 1983–1998, 2001–2006, and 2015–2016.
		Observed DST 1941–1945 and since 1983 when it was part of Yugoslavia, Serbia and Montenegro or independent.
	2018	Observed DST in 1939–1945, 1950, 1967, 1974, 1976–1978, and 2008–2018. In 2012–2018, DST was suspended during the month of Ramadan. Since 2018 Morocco uses UTC+1 all year, equivalent to permanent DST, except during the month of Ramadan, when it observes UTC±0.
	2017	Adopted standard time of UTC+2 in 1903. Observed annual changes to summer time in 1942–1943 (UTC+3 summer, UTC+2 standard). Observed annual changes to winter time in 1994–2017 (UTC+2 standard, UTC+1 winter) in all regions except Zambezi, which remained in UTC+2 all year.^[7]
		Observed DST in 1916–1945 and since 1977.
	1997	Observed DST in 1977–1979 and 1996–1997.
		Observed DST in 1927–1946 and since 1974.
	2006	Observed DST in 1973–1975, 1979–1980, 1992–1994, and 2005–2006.
		Observed DST in 1974–1975 and since 2019.^[8]
		Observed DST in 1941–1945 and since 1983 when it was part of Yugoslavia or independent.
Northern Cyprus		Observed DST since 2017. Maintained permanent DST from September 2016 to October 2017.^[9]
		Observed DST in 1916, 1940–1945, 1959–1965, and since 1980. Follows European Union practice, although not a member.
	2009	Observed DST in 1942–1945 as a part of the British Raj. Also observed in 2002 and from 2008 to 2009.
		Since 1974, observed DST in the same years when Israel did, but not always with the same start and end dates.
	2024	Observed DST in 1975–2024. In October 2024 adopted UTC−3, equivalent to permanent DST.^[10]
	1994	Observed DST in 1938–1940, 1986–1987, 1990, and 1994.
	1978	Observed DST in 1936–1937, 1954, and 1978.
		Observed DST in 1916–1919, 1940–1949, 1957–1964, and since 1977.
		Observed DST in 1916–1921, 1924, 1926–1929, 1931–1932, 1934–1949, 1951–1965, and since 1977.
	1945	Observed DST in 1942–1945.
		First time when DST was observed in Romania was in 1917, due to World War I. Observed DST in 1932–1939 and since 1979.
	2014	Observed DST in 1917–1919, 1921 (some areas), and 1981–2010. In 2011–2014, used permanent DST. In 2014, left permanent DST and switched to permanent standard time.^[11]
style=width:12em			Observed DST since 1987.
	2021	See main article: Daylight saving time in Samoa. Observed DST in 2010–2021.
		Observed DST in 1916–1920, 1940–1948, and since 1966.
		Observed DST in 1941–1945 and since 1983 when it was part of Yugoslavia, Serbia and Montenegro or independent.^[12]
	1962	Observed DST in 1935–1942 and 1957–1962.
	1935	Observed DST in 1933–1935 by adding 20 minutes to standard time. On January 1, 1936, country changed their time zone to .^[13]
		Observed DST in 1916–1918 when it was part of Austria-Hungary, 1940–1949 and since 1979 when it was part of Czechoslovakia or independent.
		Observed DST in 1916–1918 when it was part of Austria-Hungary, in 1941–1945 and since 1983 when it was part of Yugoslavia or independent.
	1944	Observed DST in 1942–1944.
	1988	Observed DST in 1948–1951, 1955–1960, and 1987–1988.
	1985	Observed DST in 1970–1985, when it was part of Sudan.
		Observed DST in 1917–1919, 1924, 1926–1929, 1937–1946, 1949, and since 1974. The Canary Islands observed DST since 1980.
	2006	Observed DST during the World War II, from 1942 to 1945 just as the rest of the Indian subcontinent. Advanced one hour to UTC+6:30 in May 1996, reduced 30 minutes to UTC+6 in October 1996, and reduced 30 minutes to UTC+5:30 in April 2006.
	1985	Observed DST in 1970–1985.
		Observed DST 15 May–30 September 1916, in a test run. Observed DST since 1980. Dates: 1980, first Sunday of April to last Sunday of September; 1981–1995, last Sunday of March to last Sunday of September; since 1996, last Sunday of March to last Sunday of October.
		Observed DST in 1941–1942 and since 1981. Follows European Union practice, although not a member.
	2022	Observed DST in 1920–1923, 1962–1978, 1983–1984, and 1986–2022. In 2022 switched to UTC+03:00, equivalent to permanent DST.
	1979	Observed DST in 1945–1962, 1974, 1975, and 1979.
	1991	Observed DST in 1981–1991.
	2017	Observed DST in 1999–2002 and 2016–2017.
	2008	Observed DST in 1939–1945, 1977–1978, 1988–1990, and 2005–2008.
	2016	See main article: Daylight saving time in Turkey. Observed DST in 1916, 1920–1922, 1924–1925, 1940–1942, 1945–1951, 1962, 1964, 1970–1983, and 1985–2016. Followed European Union practice in general. In 2016, Turkey adopted the new Turkey Time time zone (UTC+03:00), moving in effect to permanent DST.
	1991	Observed DST in 1981–1991.
		Observed DST in 1979–2015 and since 2018.
		Observed DST in 1941–1943, 1981–1989, and since 1992. Follows European Union practice, although not a member. Since 2014, occupied territories of Ukraine do not de facto observe DST.
		See main article: British Summer Time. Observed DST (commonly referred to as British Summer Time (BST)) since 1916. Year-round Summer Time (BST) + Double Summer Time (BDST) 1940–1945. Two-stage Double Summer Time (BDST) 1947. Year-round Summer Time (BST) 1968–1971. Follows European Union practice, although no longer a member.
		See main article: Daylight saving time in the United States. Arizona (except the Navajo Nation) and Hawaii do not observe DST. Year-round DST observed in 1942–1945 and 1974–1975.
	2015	Observed DST in 1923–1926, 1933–1943, 1959–1960, 1965–1970, 1972, 1974–1980, 1987–1993, and 2004–2015.^[14]
	1991	Observed DST in 1981–1991.
	1993	Observed DST in 1983–1993.
		Observed DST in 1916–1920, 1940–1948, and since 1966.
Western Sahara	2018	The portion administered by Morocco since 1976 observed DST whenever the country did.

Proposals to abolish seasonal changes

Many countries and territories have abolished annual time changes after observing them for many years: Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Brazil, Cook Islands, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Georgia, Hong Kong, Iceland, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macau, Mongolia, Namibia, Paraguay, Russia, Samoa, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, Uruguay, Vanuatu, and most of Mexico. To select the time to be used all year, some of them adopted the time previously used outside their DST period, but others adopted the time previously used during their DST period, an effect known as "permanent DST".

European Union

On 8 February 2018, the European Parliament voted to ask the European Commission to re-evaluate DST in the European Union.^[15] An online survey was performed between 4 July and 16 August 2018, in which 4.6 million EU citizens responded. The survey was especially popular in Germany, resulting in 68% of all respondents located in that country.^[16] Out of all the participants, about 84% did not desire to adjust clocks twice annually.^[17] Based on this poll, on 12 September 2018 the European Commission decided to propose an end to seasonal clock changes (repealing Directive 2000/84/EC).^[18] In order for this proposal to be valid, the European Union legislative procedure must be followed, mainly that the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament must both approve it.

The seasonal changes were supposed to stop in 2021, but the Council of the European Union asked the European Commission for a detailed impact assessment before countries would decide on how to proceed.

United States

See main article: Daylight saving time in the United States. Since 2018, several U.S. states have passed laws to abolish seasonal changes and adopt permanent DST, but these laws cannot take effect without approval from the federal government.^[19] States may freely choose whether to observe DST or not, but if they observe it they must follow the national schedule, and changing their standard time also requires approval from the federal government.

The proposed Sunshine Protection Act would change federal law to abolish annual time changes and permanently advance by one hour the standard time in all areas of the United States that previously observed DST, effectively adopting permanent DST. The proposal has been introduced in every term of the United States Congress since 2018. In 2022, it passed the Senate with unanimous consent but expired without consideration by the House of Representatives.^[20]

External links

Notes and References

Web site: The World Clock (extended version). timeanddate.com. 17 February 2026. . Detailed DST information about each location, current and historical, can be found under the relevant section of this website, and can be referred to for information in this article unless otherwise specified.
Web site: Time zone database and code . Paul Eggert.
Web site: Clock changes in Yerevan. World Clock. timeanddate.com. 20 February 2013.
Web site: Sunday, March 10: Daylight Saving Time Begins in USA & Canada. Time Zone News. timeanddate.com. 20 February 2013.
News: El hombre que cambió la hora. May 15, 2016. Bertin. Ximena . April 26, 2014 . La Tercera. Spanish.
Web site: 1968-11-02 . Decreto 1474: Adelanta la hora oficial en 60 minutos . Ministerio del Interior . November 10, 2017. Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional. Spanish.
News: GRN evaluates winter time change . . 24 March 2016 . 1 .
Web site: DST Begins in Australia and New Zealand.
Web site: Time Zone in North Nicosia, Northern Cyprus. timeanddate.
Web site: 14 October 2024 . Peña promulga horario de verano todo el año . Peña enacts summer time all year . es . 14 October 2024 . ABC Color.
Web site: Russia returns to permanent Standard Time. timeanddate.com. 25 October 2014.
Web site: Serbia to legislate Daylight Saving Time, EU may end it – English – on B92.net. 20 August 2018 .
Web site: Time zone in Singapore. Daylight Saving Time. timeanddate.com. 21 February 2013.
News: No habrá cambio de hora este verano. Montevideo Portal .
Web site: EU Parliament Votes to Re-Evaluate DST in Europe. www.timeanddate.com.
Web site: 2020-10-24. Stopping the clock on seasonal time changes? Not anytime soon. 2021-03-22. POLITICO. en-US.
Summertime Consultation: 84% want Europe to stop changing the clock. 31 August 2018. Brussels. European Commission.
State of the Union 2018: Q&A on the Commission's proposal to put an end to seasonal clock changes. European Commission. Strasbourg. 12 September 2018.
Web site: Daylight Saving Time State Legislation. National Conference of State Legislatures. March 4, 2025.
Web site: S.623 – Sunshine Protection Act of 2021 . 16 March 2022 . United States Congress.