How many countries in the world are left-hand drive?

About 141 of the world’s 195 sovereign countries are left-hand drive—meaning they keep to the right side of the road and use vehicles with the steering wheel on the left. If you instead meant “countries that drive on the left,” there are 54 sovereign countries. The difference comes down to whether you’re talking about the side of the vehicle’s steering wheel (left-hand drive, LHD) or the side of the road (left-hand traffic, LHT).

What “left-hand drive” actually means

Left-hand drive (LHD) refers to vehicles with the steering wheel on the left side, which are designed for right-hand traffic (RHT)—driving on the right side of the road. Right-hand drive (RHD) vehicles are designed for left-hand traffic (LHT)—driving on the left side of the road. People often conflate “left-hand drive” with “driving on the left,” but they are opposites in practice.

The global count in 2025

The figures below use the widely accepted count of 195 sovereign states (193 UN members plus the Holy See and the State of Palestine). They distinguish between countries that drive on the right (thus mostly using left-hand drive vehicles) and those that drive on the left (thus mostly using right-hand drive vehicles).

• Left-hand drive countries (right-hand traffic): 141 sovereign countries (about 72% of countries), home to roughly two-thirds of the world’s population.
• Right-hand drive countries (left-hand traffic): 54 sovereign countries (about 28% of countries), home to roughly one-third of the world’s population.
• If you include dependent territories and overseas regions, the tally is commonly cited as about 163 right-hand traffic jurisdictions and about 76 left-hand traffic jurisdictions.

In other words, when people ask how many countries are “left-hand drive,” they’re usually referring to the 141 countries where traffic keeps right and cars are built with the steering wheel on the left.

Where each system predominates

Geography and history explain most of the global split. Here’s where left-hand drive (RHT roads) and right-hand drive (LHT roads) are most common today.

• LHD/RHT is dominant across: the Americas (with exceptions in Guyana and Suriname), continental Europe (except the UK, Ireland, Malta, Cyprus), mainland China, Russia, the Middle East, and most of North, West and Central Africa.
• RHD/LHT is prevalent in: the UK and Ireland; Southern and much of Eastern Africa (e.g., South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini); South and Southeast Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, East Timor); Japan; Australia and New Zealand; and several Caribbean states (e.g., Jamaica, Barbados, Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago) plus Guyana and Suriname in South America.

These patterns largely reflect colonial-era standards and regional vehicle trade flows, which continue to reinforce each country’s chosen side.

Notable exceptions and quirks

While the broad pattern is stable, there are some noteworthy exceptions and historical shifts.

• China’s special administrative regions Hong Kong and Macau drive on the left, even though mainland China drives on the right.
• Myanmar drives on the right but still has many right-hand-drive vehicles from its historic links and imports—an unusual mix.
• Samoa switched from right-hand traffic to left-hand traffic in 2009 to align with nearby markets that supply right-hand-drive cars.
• Several territories drive on the left despite their parent countries being right-hand traffic (for example, the U.S. Virgin Islands). These do not change the sovereign-country counts.
• Border transitions between left and right occur at a number of crossings worldwide, with engineered changeover systems (e.g., between Hong Kong and mainland China, or between Thailand and its right-driving neighbors).

Such cases don’t alter the global country totals but illustrate the practical and historical complexity behind the world’s road rules.

Methodology and notes

This count uses 195 sovereign states as of 2025. The 141/54 split mirrors standard references used by transport agencies and international compendia. Including non-sovereign territories changes totals but not the overall proportions. No sovereign-country switches have occurred in recent years; the last widely noted shift was Samoa’s move to left-hand traffic in 2009.

Summary

Answer: Approximately 141 sovereign countries are left-hand drive (they drive on the right), while 54 sovereign countries drive on the left and thus predominantly use right-hand-drive vehicles. The distribution is stable and reflects historical legacies and regional vehicle trade patterns.

Which country uses right-hand drive?

Right-Hand Drive Countries
Some specific countries that use right-hand drive cars include Japan, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Fiji, and Papua New Guinea.

What country switched from left to right driving?

Sweden
‘the right-hand traffic reorganisation’), was on 3 September 1967, the day on which Sweden switched from driving on the left-hand side of the road to the right. The “H” stands for “Högertrafik”, the Swedish word for right-hand traffic. It was by far the largest logistical event in Sweden’s history.

Is China a left-hand drive country?

No, in mainland China, traffic drives on the right-hand side of the road, not the left. However, the former British colony of Hong Kong, and the former Portuguese colony of Macau, still drive on the left due to their distinct historical and legal frameworks.
 
Driving side in China

• Mainland China: Drives on the right-hand side of the road. 
• Special Administrative Regions: Hong Kong and Macau drive on the left. 

Why the difference?

• Hong Kong . Opens in new tabretained its left-hand traffic system from its time as a British colony, and its traffic rules are protected by a “Basic Law” ensuring its way of life remains unchanged until 2047. 
• Macau . Opens in new tabalso maintained left-hand traffic as a former Portuguese colony. 

Historical Context

• China officially changed to right-hand traffic in 1946. 
• Before the 1946 decision, different regions in China had varying driving rules, with some areas like the Shanghai International Settlement and Japanese-occupied northeast China using left-hand traffic. 

Why is Japan left side drive?

Japan drives on the left due to its history with samurai, who kept their swords on their left hip, necessitating left-side passage to avoid collisions. This tradition was reinforced when British companies helped build Japan’s first railways in the 1870s, adopting British left-hand track practice, a system eventually codified into law for all vehicles by 1924.
 
Historical Roots

• Samurai Culture: Opens in new tabIn feudal Japan, most samurai were right-handed and carried their swords on their left hip. Walking on the left allowed them to pass others without their scabbards clashing, which was a serious provocation. 
• Public Adoption: Opens in new tabThis custom of left-side passage became a norm in society, and people would get out of a samurai’s way to avoid conflict. 

Influence of Railways 

• British Technical Aid: Opens in new tabWhen Japan began modernizing in the late 19th century, British engineers were instrumental in constructing the nation’s first railway system.
• Left-Side Trains: Opens in new tabThese railways adopted the British practice of left-hand traffic for trains and, later, electric trolleys.

Formalization into Law 

• Codification: The tradition of left-side driving, rooted in samurai custom and reinforced by the railway system, was officially codified into national law in 1924.

In summary, Japan’s driving on the left is a direct result of pre-modern samurai customs and the early adoption of British railway practices, which were later formalized into nationwide traffic law.