Country rankings

Countries that Drive on the Right

Countries that Drive on the Right: compare 212 countries on 3 metrics.

Culture212 countries · 3 metricsUpdated Jan 22, 2024Original page
5 sources

Driving Side

2 values across 212 entries

Data

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212 countries
AfghanistanRight—Kabul adopted Right 1955.
AlbaniaRight——
AlgeriaRight—Part of France until 1962.
American SamoaRight——
AndorraRight—Landlocked between France and Spain.
AngolaRight1928Portuguese colony until 1975.
Antigua and BarbudaLeft—These Caribbean islands were a British colony until 1958.
ArgentinaRight10 June 1945The anniversary on 10 June is still observed each year as Día de la Seguridad Vial (road safety day).
ArmeniaRight——
AustraliaLeft—British colonies before 1901. Includes Australian external territories.
AustriaRight1921–38Originally Left, like most of Austria-Hungary, but switched sides after the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany.
AzerbaijanRight——
BahamasLeft—British colony before 1973. Caribbean island. Most passenger vehicles are LHD due to them being imported from the United States.
BahrainRightNovember 1967Former British protectorate. Switched to the same side as its neighbours.
BangladeshLeft—Part of Pakistan before 1971, which was part of British India before 1947.
BarbadosLeft—This Atlantic island state was a British colony before 1966.
BelarusRight——
BelgiumRight1899—
BelizeRight1961British colony before 1981. Switched to same side as neighbours.
BeninRight—Part of French West Africa before 1960.
BhutanLeft—Under British protection before 1949.
BoliviaRight——
Bosnia and HerzegovinaRight1918Switched sides after the collapse of Austria-Hungary.
BotswanaLeft—British colony before 1966.
BrazilRight1928Portuguese colony before 1822.
British Virgin IslandsLeft—Most passenger vehicles are LHD due to imports from the United States, which is Right.
BruneiLeft—British protection until 1984.
BulgariaRight——
Burkina FasoRight—Part of French West Africa before 1958.
BurundiRight—Belgian colony before 1962. Considering switching to Left.
CambodiaRight—French protectorate before 1953.
CameroonRight1961—
CanadaRight——
Cape VerdeRight1928Portuguese colony before 1975.
Cayman IslandsLeft—Most passenger vehicles are LHD due to imports from the United States, which has Right.
Central African RepublicRight—French colonies before 1960.
ChadRight——
ChileRight1920s—
ChinaRight1946Parts of China were Left in the 1930s.
ColombiaRight——
ComorosRight—French colony before 1975.
Costa RicaRight——
CroatiaRight1926Was then part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.
CubaRight——
CyprusLeft—Under UK administration before 1960. Island nation. De facto divided between the Republic of Cyprus, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, the UN buffer zone and the British base areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia. All are Left.
CzechiaRight1939Switched during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia.
DenmarkRight—Includes the Faroe Islands and Greenland.
DjiboutiRight—French colony before 1977.
DominicaLeft—British colony before 1978. Caribbean island.
Dominican RepublicRight——
DR CongoRight—Belgian colony before 1960. RHD vehicles are common, especially in the southeast.
EcuadorRight——
EgyptRight——
El SalvadorRight——
Equatorial GuineaRight—Spanish colony before 1968.
EritreaRight8 June 1964Italian colony before 1942.
EstoniaRight——
EswatiniLeft—British protectorate until 1968. Continues to drive on the same side as neighbouring countries.
EthiopiaRight8 June 1964—
Falkland IslandsLeft—Briefly switched to Right during the Falklands War.
FijiLeft—The island nation was a British colony before 1970.
FinlandRight8 June 1858—
FranceRight1792Includes French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna, French Guiana, Réunion, Saint Barthélemy, the Collectivity of Saint Martin, Guadeloupe, and Mayotte.
GabonRight—French colony before 1960.
GambiaRight1 October 1965British colony until 1965. Switched to Right on 1 October 1965 being surrounded by the former French colony of Senegal.
GeorgiaRight—About 40% of vehicles in Georgia are RHD due to the low cost of used cars imported from Japan.
GermanyRight——
GhanaRight4 August 1974British colony until 1957. Ghana switched to Right in 1974,
GibraltarRight1929Gibraltar is Right because of its land border with Spain.
GreeceRight1926Originally Left (albeit unofficially) since independence. The establishment of the traffic code switched traffic officially to Right traffic in 1926.
GrenadaLeft—British colony before 1974. Caribbean island.
GuamRight——
GuatemalaRight——
GuernseyLeft—Was Right from 1940 to 1945 due to the German occupation.
GuineaRight——
Guinea-BissauRight1928Portuguese colony until 1974. Drives on the same side as its neighbours.
GuyanaLeft—British colony until 1966. One of the only two countries in continental America which are in Left, the other being Suriname.
HaitiRight—French colony until 1804.
HondurasRight——
Hong KongLeft—Hong Kong was a British colony from 1841 to 1941 and from 1945 to 1997, when the dependent territory was transferred to China.
HungaryRight1941Originally Left, like most of Austria-Hungary, but switched sides during the Second World War.
IcelandRight26 May 1968This Atlantic island nation changed to Right on H-dagurinn. Most passenger cars were already LHD.
IndiaLeft—Part of British India before 1947.
IndonesiaLeft—Roads and railways were built by the Dutch, with Left for roads to conform to British and Japanese standards and Right for railways to conform with Dutch standards. Urban railways also use Right. Did not change sides, unlike the Netherlands, in 1906.
IranRight——
IraqRight——
IrelandLeft—What is now the Republic of Ireland was part of the United Kingdom before 1922. The Republic covers most of the island of Ireland; the rest of Ireland is part of Northern Ireland, which remains part of the United Kingdom, which is also Left.
Isle of ManLeft——
IsraelRight——
ItalyRight1924–26—
Ivory CoastRight—Part of French West Africa before 1960.
JamaicaLeft—British colony before 1962. Caribbean island. Most passenger vehicles are RHD, tractor-trailers and other heavy-duty trucks are mostly LHD due to being imported from the United States.
JapanLeft—Left was enacted in law in 1924. One of the few non-British-colony countries to use Left. Okinawa Prefecture was Right from 24 June 1945 to 30 July 1978 because of American rule.
JerseyLeft—Was Right from 1940 to 1945 due to the German occupation.
JordanRight——
KazakhstanRight——
KenyaLeft—Part of the British East Africa Protectorate before 1963.
KiribatiLeft—This Pacific island nation was a British colony before 1979.
KuwaitRight—British Protectorate until 1961.
KyrgyzstanRight—In 2012, over 20,000 cheap used RHD cars were imported from Japan.
LaosRight—French protectorate until 1953. The Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge is Left in connection to Thailand.
LatviaRight——
LebanonRight—French Mandate of Lebanon before 1946.
LesothoLeft—British protectorate from 1885 to 1966. Enclave of Left South Africa.
LiberiaRight—Was under American control.
LibyaRight—Italian colony from 1911 to 1947.
LiechtensteinRight—Landlocked between Switzerland and Austria.
LithuaniaRight——
LuxembourgRight——
MacauLeft—Macau was under Portuguese rule until 1999, when the dependent territory was transferred to China.
MadagascarRight—This island nation was a French colony until 1958.
MalawiLeft—British colony before 1964.
MalaysiaLeft—British colony before 1957.
MaldivesLeft—This island nation was a British colony before 1965.
MaliRight—Part of French West Africa before 1960.
MaltaLeft—British colony before 1964. Island nation.
Marshall IslandsRight—Was under American control.
MauritaniaRight—Part of French West Africa before 1960. Mining roads between Fderîck and Zouérat are Left.
MauritiusLeft—This island nation was a British colony before 1968.
MexicoRight——
MicronesiaRight—Was under American control.
MoldovaRight——
MonacoRight—Was under French control.
MongoliaRight——
MontenegroRight——
MoroccoRight—Under French and Spanish protection until 1956.
MozambiqueLeft—Portuguese colony until 1975. Drives on the same side as its neighbours.
MyanmarRight6 December 1970British colony until 1948. Switched to Right under the orders of Ne Win. Theories emerge on the reasoning behind this switch; one claimed that he met an astrologer that recommended him to switch the country's traffic to the right in order to make the nation prosper, while anot…
NamibiaLeft1920When South Africa occupied German South West Africa in the First World War, it switched to Left. South West Africa was administered by South Africa 1920–1990.
NauruLeft1918This island nation was administered by Australia until 1968.
NepalLeft—Shares open land border with Left India.
NetherlandsRight1 January 1906Includes Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten.
New ZealandLeft—These Pacific islands, including territories Niue and Cook Islands, were former British colonies.
NicaraguaRight——
NigerRight—Part of French West Africa before 1958.
NigeriaRight2 April 1972British colony until 1960. Under the military government, it switched to Right due to being surrounded by Right former French colonies.
North KoreaRight1946Was Left during the period of Japanese rule. Switched to Right after the Surrender of Japan.
North MacedoniaRight——
Northern Mariana IslandsRight——
NorwayRight——
OmanRight——
PakistanLeft—Part of British India before 1947.
PalauRight—Most passenger vehicles are RHD due to them being imported from Australia and Japan.
PalestineRight——
PanamaRight1943—
Papua New GuineaLeft—After Australia occupied German New Guinea during World War I, it switched to Left.
ParaguayRight1945—
PeruRight——
PhilippinesRight1946Was Left during the Spanish and American colonial periods. Switched to Right after the Battle of Manila in 1945.
PolandRight—South-eastern Poland (former Austrian Partition) was Left until the 1920s.
PortugalRight1928Colonies Goa, Macau and Mozambique, which had land borders with Left countries, did not switch and continue to drive on the left.
Puerto RicoRight——
QatarRight—Former British protectorate. Switched to same side as neighbours.
Republic of the CongoRight—French colony before 1960.
RomaniaRight1919Regions of Romania (Transylvania, Bukovina, parts of the Banat, Crișana and Maramureș) that were part of Austria-Hungary were Left until 1919.
RussiaRight—In the Russian Far East, RHD vehicles are common due to the import of used cars from nearby Japan.
RwandaRight—Belgian colony before 1962. Considering switching to Left.
Saint Kitts and NevisLeft—This Caribbean island nation was a British colony before 1983.
Saint LuciaLeft—This Caribbean island nation was a British colony before 1979.
Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesLeft——
SamoaLeft7 September 2009Despite New Zealand occupying German Samoa during the first World War, the country did not switch to Left until 2009; this was for economic reasons, to allow cheaper importation of cars from Australia, New Zealand and Japan.
San MarinoRight—Enclaved state surrounded by Italy.
Sao Tome and PrincipeRight1928Portuguese colony until 1975.
Saudi ArabiaRight1942—
SenegalRight—Part of French West Africa before 1960.
SerbiaRight1926(As part of Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes). Vojvodina was Left while part of Austria-Hungary.
SeychellesLeft—This island nation was a British colony until 1976.
Sierra LeoneRight1 March 1971British colony until 1961. Switched to Right being surrounded by neighbouring former French colonies. Furthermore, it banned the importation of RHD vehicles in 2013.
SingaporeLeft—This island nation was a British colony until 1963. It was also part of Malaysia until 1965.
SlovakiaRight1939–41Switched during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia.
SloveniaRight1926(As part of Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.) Officially Left from 1915 as part of Austria-Hungary.
Solomon IslandsLeft—This island nation was a British protectorate before 1975.
SomaliaRight—The former British Somaliland had Left until it formed a union with the former Italian Somaliland which had Right.
South AfricaLeft—British colony before 1910.
South KoreaRight1946Was Left during the period of Japanese rule. Switched to Right after the Surrender of Japan.
South SudanRight1973Part of Sudan until 2011.
SpainRight1924Up to the 1920s Barcelona was Right, and Madrid was Left until 1924. The Madrid Metro still uses Left.
Sri LankaLeft—British Ceylon from 1815 to 1948.
SudanRight1973Formerly Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, it switched sides 17 years later to match neighbours.
SurinameLeft1920sDutch colony until 1975. One of the only two countries in continental America which are in Left, the other being Guyana. Did not switch sides, unlike the Netherlands itself.
SwedenRight3 September 1967The day of the switch was known as Dagen H. Most passenger vehicles were already LHD.
SwitzerlandRight——
SyriaRight—Was under French control.
TaiwanRight1946Was Left during the period of Japanese rule. The Republic of China (1912–1949) changed Taiwan to Right in 1946 along with the rest of China.
TajikistanRight——
TanzaniaLeft—Was British colony until 1961.
ThailandLeft—One of the few non-British-colony Left countries. Shares a long land border with Right Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.
Timor-LesteLeft19 July 1976Portuguese colony until 1975. Switched to Right with Portugal in 1928; under the Indonesian annexation, it was switched back to Left in 1976. Its Left status remains to this day.
TogoRight—Part of French West Africa until 1960.
TongaLeft—British protectorate before 1970. Polynesian island nation.
Trinidad and TobagoLeft—British colony before 1962. Caribbean island.
TunisiaRight—Right was enforced in the French protectorate of Tunisia from 1881 to 1956.
TurkeyRight—Except Metrobus, which is usually Left.
TurkmenistanRight——
Turks and Caicos IslandsLeft—Most passenger vehicles are LHD due to imports from the United States, which has Right.
TuvaluLeft—Formerly a British colony. Became independent in 1978.
UgandaLeft—Part of British Uganda Protectorate from 1894 until 1962.
UkraineRight1922Western parts of the country had Left under Austro-Hungarian Empire
United Arab EmiratesRight1 September 1966Former British protectorate.
United KingdomLeft—An island nation with a land border with the Republic of Ireland, which is also Left. Also Left are the British Overseas Territories of Anguilla, Ascension Island, Bermuda, Montserrat, Saint Helena, and Tristan da Cunha.
United StatesRight——
United States Virgin IslandsLeft—U.S. Virgin Islands, like much of the Caribbean, is Left and is the only American jurisdiction that still has Left, because the islands drove on the left when the US purchased the former Danish West Indies in the 1917 Treaty of the Danish West Indies. Most passenger vehicles a…
UruguayRight9 September 1945Became Left in 1918, but as in some other countries in South America, changed to Right in 1945.
UzbekistanRight——
VanuatuRight—Co-administered under France and the United Kingdom until 1980.
Vatican CityRight—Enclave of Rome.
VenezuelaRight——
VietnamRight—French colony until 1954. The Long Bien Bridge uses Left.
Western SaharaRight—Spanish colony until 1976.
YemenRight1977South Yemen, formerly the British colony of Aden, changed to Right in 1977. A series of postage stamps commemorating the event was issued.
ZambiaLeft—British colony before 1964.
ZimbabweLeft—British colony before 1965 (de facto) or 1980 (de jure).

Quick answers

Where does this countries that drive on the right data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Left- and right-hand traffic - Wiki; Remembering the day Dubai swapped left-hand driving for right - The National News; List of all left- & right-driving countries around the world - World Standards; Drive on the Left or Right? - Rhino Car Hire.

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