Countries That Abolished Daylight Saving Time: The Global Shift Away From Clock Changes

In the last decade, a wave of countries has decided that changing clocks twice a year is more trouble than it is worth. From Mexico to Brazil to Russia, nations are permanently fixing their clocks and walking away from Daylight Saving Time. This article catalogs every country that has abolished DST, explains why they did it, and examines the trend.

The global DST landscape is shifting rapidly. Approximately 70 countries currently observe some form of DST, down from a peak of over 100 in the mid-20th century. The majority of the world's population lives in countries that do not change their clocks. China, India, Japan, Indonesia, and most of Africa have either never used DST or abandoned it decades ago.

Mexico (2022): The Most Recent Major Abolition

In October 2022, Mexico's Senate voted 56-29 to abolish Daylight Saving Time for most of the country. The law, championed by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, took effect immediately. The northern border region (within 20 km of the US border, including cities like Tijuana and Mexicali) retains DST to stay synchronized with neighboring US states. Quintana Roo, the state containing Cancun, has been on permanent Eastern Standard Time since 2015 to benefit tourism. Mexico's decision was driven by health concerns: the government cited studies showing DST increases stress, disrupts sleep, and raises the risk of heart attacks.

Brazil (2019): Latin America's Giant Opts Out

Brazil abolished DST by presidential decree in April 2019, ending a practice that had been in place since 1931 (with some interruptions). President Jair Bolsonaro argued that the energy savings from DST had become negligible due to changes in Brazilian energy consumption patterns (more air conditioning use in the afternoon, less reliance on incandescent lighting). Brazil's equatorial and tropical geography also means that many regions saw little benefit from DST. The abolition was popular with Brazilians who disliked losing an hour of sleep.

Russia (2014): The Permanent Winter Time Experiment

Russia's DST history is particularly convoluted. In 2011, Russia moved to permanent summer time (DST year-round). This was so unpopular (people hated dark winter mornings) that in 2014, Russia switched to permanent winter time (standard time year-round). The country has not changed clocks since 2014. Some regions have since shifted their UTC offset to effectively restore DST-like conditions, creating a patchwork of different time standards within the Russian Federation.

Turkey (2016): Permanent Summer Time

Turkey abolished DST in September 2016, choosing to stay permanently on UTC+3 (what was formerly summer time). The government argued this would save energy and make better use of daylight. Critics note that this means Istanbul's solar noon occurs at approximately 1:00 PM in winter, and winter sunrises can be as late as 8:30 AM. The decision was made by presidential decree without public consultation.

Other Countries That Recently Abolished DST

Syria (2022): Ended DST and now stays on UTC+3 year-round.
Jordan (2022): Abolished DST and stays on UTC+3 permanently.
Iran (2023): Announced it would stop observing DST. Iran previously sprang forward on March 21-22 (Nowruz, Persian New Year).
Azerbaijan (2016): Moved to permanent UTC+4 (effectively permanent summer time).
Belarus (2011): Followed Russia into permanent DST, but unlike Russia, stayed there. Belarus remains on UTC+3 year-round.
Armenia (2012): Abolished DST, staying on UTC+4 permanently.
Georgia (2005): One of the earliest post-Soviet nations to abolish DST.
Iceland: Has never observed DST. Iceland stays on GMT (UTC+0) year-round, despite its high latitude, because its westerly location within the GMT zone gives it naturally late sunrises and sunsets.

Which Countries May Abolish DST Next?

The European Union is the biggest potential domino. In 2018, the European Commission formally proposed ending seasonal clock changes across all member states, following a public consultation in which 84% of 4.6 million respondents supported abolition. The original plan was for 2021 implementation, but member states could not agree on whether to adopt permanent summer time or permanent winter time. The proposal remains in legislative limbo, but the direction of travel is clear. The United Kingdom, now outside the EU, would likely follow whatever decision Europe makes to maintain business alignment.

In the United States, the Sunshine Protection Act (making DST permanent) has passed the Senate twice (in 2022 and 2023) but stalled in the House of Representatives. If enacted, it would mean the US springs forward one final time and never falls back. Polling shows 63% of Americans support ending the clock change. The main debate is whether to use permanent standard time (favored by health experts because it aligns better with human circadian rhythms) or permanent DST (favored by retail, tourism, and sporting industries because it means more daylight in the evening).