Daylight saving time around the world
Twice a year hundreds of millions of people change their clocks — forward in spring, back in autumn. But daylight saving time is not a worldwide custom: the majority of countries on Earth do not use the system. Why does it exist, how does it differ by region, and what is in store for Europe?
What is daylight saving time and what is it for?
Daylight Saving Time (DST) means that clocks are set one hour forward in spring, giving more daylight in the evenings. In autumn they go back one hour. The idea is straightforward: if people use less sun in the morning (because they are asleep), that hour is better spent in the evening. In theory this saves energy on artificial lighting and allows people to be outside longer in the evenings.
British builder William Willett argued as early as 1907 for daylight saving to avoid wasting daylight. Germany was the first country to introduce it during the First World War (1916) to save fuel. Many other countries followed. After the oil crises of the 1970s, DST became popular again as an energy-saving measure.
Whether it really saves energy is scientifically disputed. Modern studies show that savings on electric lighting are partly offset by increased heating during the colder morning hours. More about how time zones work is on time zones explained and the technical basis on UTC, GMT and the prime meridian.
Daylight saving by region
Not all regions use daylight saving, and the dates on which clocks change vary widely. The table below gives an overview of the main regions.
| Region | Clocks forward | Clocks back | DST? |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU / Europe | Last Sunday March, 02:00 | Last Sunday October, 03:00 | Yes (EU Directive 2000/84/EC) |
| US / Canada | Second Sunday March, 02:00 | First Sunday November, 02:00 | Yes (most states/provinces) |
| Australia / NZ | First Sunday October | First Sunday April | Yes (reversed seasons) |
| Chile / Paraguay | October / September | April / March | Yes (Southern Hemisphere) |
| Africa (most countries) | — | — | No |
| Asia (most countries) | — | — | No |
| Russia | — | — | No (abolished in 2014) |
Source: IANA Time Zone Database; EU Directive 2000/84/EC; CIA World Factbook.
Europe: the EU rule
In the European Union the clock change is laid down in EU Directive 2000/84/EC. The directive requires all member states to change their clocks on the same dates — the last Sunday of March and the last Sunday of October — so that no time differences arise between them. This keeps internal trade and rail timetables in Europe coordinated. The Netherlands has transposed the directive into national law.
With summer time, the Netherlands uses UTC+2 (Central European Summer Time, CEST). In winter that is UTC+1 (Central European Time, CET). The difference with most neighbouring European countries remains zero: everyone changes the clocks simultaneously.
The Americas: different dates
In the US different dates apply from those in Europe. The clocks go forward on the second Sunday of March and back on the first Sunday of November, more than two weeks later than the EU. In the intervening weeks the time differences between North America and Europe are one hour greater or smaller than usual — a common source of confusion for international meetings.
Not all US states participate. Arizona (except the Navajo Nation) and Hawaii remain on standard time year-round. Canada broadly follows the same dates as the US, with a few provincial exceptions.
Why Africa and Asia largely do not use daylight saving
Near the equator the length of the day barely varies throughout the year. On the equator itself the day is always almost exactly 12 hours long. The further from the equator, the greater the difference between the longest and shortest day. The benefit of daylight saving — more usable evening light in summer — is simply negligible near the equator.
Countries such as India, China, Japan, Singapore and most countries in Africa therefore use the same fixed UTC offset year-round. This causes less confusion when scheduling flights and meetings. Japan abolished daylight saving after the Second World War; China has never introduced it since unification in 1949.
An interesting exception is Morocco: the country applies daylight saving but pauses it during Ramadan out of respect for fasting times.
The Southern Hemisphere: a reversed cycle
In the Southern Hemisphere the seasons are reversed relative to the north. When it is winter in the Netherlands, it is summer in Sydney. Countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Chile that use daylight saving therefore put their clocks forward in October (the start of their spring) and back in April (the start of their autumn).
This means that Dutch and Australian daylight saving partly overlap and partly move in opposite directions. In September/October, when the Netherlands reverts to winter time, Australia puts its clocks forward. The time difference between Amsterdam and Sydney can therefore change twice in quick succession in autumn.
More about the Pacific and Australian region is on the page about Oceania.
The EU debate: will daylight saving be abolished?
In 2019 the European Parliament voted by a large majority to abolish the twice-yearly clock change. The trigger was a consultation in which more than 4.6 million Europeans gave their views — the overwhelming majority was in favour of abolition. Parliament proposed introducing the change in 2021.
But the EU Council of Ministers (the member states) has not finalised the proposal since then. The heart of the disagreement: should countries permanently stay on summer time (UTC+2 in the Netherlands) or winter time (UTC+1)? Neighbouring countries making different choices would see their time difference change by one hour, with consequences for the single market, rail timetables and international cooperation. As long as there is no agreement, the EU clock change remains in force under Directive 2000/84/EC.
For the overview of all time zones in Europe and how countries such as Spain, Ireland and Russia made different choices, see the time zones page.
Frequently asked questions
When do the clocks go forward in Europe?
In Europe the clocks go forward on the last Sunday of March at 02:00 by one hour to 03:00 (summer time, UTC+2). They go back on the last Sunday of October at 03:00 to 02:00 (winter time, UTC+1). This is set out in EU Directive 2000/84/EC.
Why do many countries in Africa and Asia not use daylight saving?
Near the equator the difference in day length between summer and winter is minimal, so there is little benefit to changing the clocks. Countries such as India, China, Japan and most African states use the same time year-round. See also time zones explained.
Does the EU want to abolish daylight saving?
In 2019 the European Parliament voted for abolition, but EU member states have not agreed on permanently adopting summer or winter time. The clock change therefore continues for now under Directive 2000/84/EC.
How does daylight saving work in the Southern Hemisphere?
In the Southern Hemisphere the seasons are reversed. Countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Chile put their clocks forward in October and back in April — the mirror image of the European cycle. Read more on the Oceania page.
Sources
- EU Directive 2000/84/EC — establishment of the daylight saving arrangement in the European Union
- IANA Time Zone Database — tz.iana.org (DST rules per country and zone)
- Royal Observatory Greenwich — historical overview of daylight saving (rmg.co.uk)
- European Parliament — resolution on abolition of daylight saving, 26 March 2019
- CIA World Factbook — time zone and DST information per country