Honestly, nobody really likes that groggy feeling of losing an hour of sleep on a random Sunday in March. You've probably stared at your microwave clock—the only one in the house that doesn't update itself—and wondered why we’re still doing this in 2026. It feels like a relic. Yet, here we are. If you are trying to figure out which countries observe daylight savings time, the map is actually shrinking faster than you might think.
The world is basically split into three camps: the "status quo" crowd who can't stop tinkering with the clocks, the "done with it" crowd who recently quit, and the massive majority of the planet that never bothered with it in the first place.
The Heavy Hitters: Who is Still Changing Clocks?
Most of the Western world is still stuck in the cycle. If you're in the United States or Canada, you're likely "springing forward" on March 8, 2026. It’s the earliest possible date for the change to happen.
But it’s not everyone.
Arizona and Hawaii are the famous rebels in the U.S. They just don't do it. In Canada, it’s even weirder. Most of Saskatchewan stays on standard time all year, but then you have spots in British Columbia and Nunavut that also ignore the change. It’s a logistical nightmare for anyone trying to schedule a Zoom call across provinces.
Europe is the biggest block still observing the change. From the UK to Poland, almost every country on the continent will shift their clocks on March 29, 2026. It’s a synchronized dance. At 1:00 AM UTC, the entire European Union (minus a few territories) shifts at once.
The Great Global Exit
Did you know that less than 40% of countries worldwide still use DST? It's true. Most of Asia and Africa have completely moved on.
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Mexico is a great example of a recent "breakup." For years, they followed the U.S. schedule. Then, in 2022, they basically said "no more." Now, only a few municipalities right on the U.S. border keep the tradition alive to stay in sync with their neighbors. The rest of the country enjoys the same time year-round.
Which countries observe daylight savings time in the Southern Hemisphere? It's a much shorter list:
- Australia: Only the south and east (New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, and the ACT).
- New Zealand: They are all in.
- Chile: They still use it, though they keep tweaking the dates.
- Paraguay: Interestingly, Paraguay recently moved to make "Summer Time" permanent, effectively ending the biannual switch.
Why the EU is Stuck in Limbo
You might remember hearing back in 2018 or 2019 that the European Union voted to scrap the clock change. You aren't imagining things.
The European Parliament actually backed the move after a massive public consultation where 84% of people said they wanted to stop changing the clocks. So, why are they still doing it in 2026?
Bureaucracy. Pure and simple.
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The member states couldn't agree on whether to stay on "Permanent Summer Time" or "Permanent Winter Time." Imagine if France chose summer and Germany chose winter—the border crossings would be a mess. Then COVID-19 happened, and then the energy crisis, and the "clock debate" got shoved to the bottom of the pile.
Does it actually save energy?
That’s the million-dollar question. Experts like Steve Calandrillo from the University of Washington argue that while we might save a bit on evening lighting, we end up spending more on morning heating or afternoon air conditioning.
The energy argument is sort of falling apart in the modern world. We don't rely on candles or incandescent bulbs like we did in 1916. Today, it’s more about lifestyle. Retailers love DST because people go shopping when it's light out after work. Golf courses love it. Parents of toddlers who wake up at 5:00 AM? Not so much.
What to Do if You're Traveling in 2026
If you are crossing borders this year, don't trust your gut.
- Check the "Border Exceptions": If you're in a place like Brazil or China, you're safe—no changes. But if you're flying from London to New York in late March, remember that the U.S. switches three weeks before the UK. For those three weeks, the time difference is actually shorter than usual.
- Manual Clocks: Check your car, your stove, and your "dumb" watches. 2026 is going to be a year of many "I'm an hour late" excuses because of that early March 8th jump in North America.
- Health Prep: Sleep experts often suggest shifting your bedtime by 15 minutes each night for the four nights leading up to the "Spring Forward." It sounds tedious, but it beats the Monday morning zombie vibe.
The reality of which countries observe daylight savings time is that it’s becoming an "Atlantic" tradition. The U.S., Canada, and Europe are the last major holdouts. As the health and economic data continues to pile up against the switch, expect this list to get even shorter by the end of the decade.
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Next Steps for You: Check your local government's website if you live in a "borderline" region like the Yukon or Northern Mexico, as local laws on time zones are changing faster than the international registries can sometimes keep up with. If you're planning a trip to Europe in March, double-check your flight arrival times specifically for the weekend of March 29th.