Which Countries Have Left-Hand Drive (LHD)?

Most countries in the world use left-hand drive vehicles, meaning they drive on the right side of the road. In practice, only a minority of nations and territories drive on the left (and therefore use right-hand drive vehicles); everyone else is left-hand drive. Below is a clear breakdown, current as of 2025.

What “left-hand drive” actually means

Left-hand drive (LHD) refers to vehicles with the steering wheel on the left, used in countries where traffic flows on the right-hand side of the road. Right-hand drive (RHD) vehicles are the opposite, used where traffic flows on the left. To determine whether a country is LHD, the quickest rule of thumb is: if it drives on the right, it’s LHD.

Countries that do NOT have left-hand drive (they drive on the left)

Europe

These European countries drive on the left and therefore use right-hand drive vehicles, making them the notable exceptions on the continent.

• Cyprus
• Ireland
• Malta
• United Kingdom

Every other European country drives on the right and thus uses left-hand drive vehicles.

Africa

In Africa, left-side driving is concentrated in southern and parts of eastern Africa, reflecting historic British influence.

• Botswana
• Eswatini
• Kenya
• Lesotho
• Malawi
• Mauritius
• Mozambique
• Namibia
• Seychelles
• South Africa
• Tanzania
• Uganda
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

All other African nations drive on the right and therefore are left-hand drive.

Asia

Asia’s left-driving states are mostly in South and Southeast Asia plus Japan; mainland China and most of continental Asia drive on the right (LHD).

• Bangladesh
• Bhutan
• Brunei
• India
• Indonesia
• Japan
• Malaysia
• Maldives
• Nepal
• Pakistan
• Singapore
• Sri Lanka
• Thailand
• Timor-Leste (East Timor)

Elsewhere in Asia—including mainland China, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Mongolia, Turkey, and the Middle East—traffic keeps right and vehicles are left-hand drive.

Oceania

Oceania is split: Australia, New Zealand, and several Pacific microstates keep left; others keep right.

• Australia
• Fiji
• Kiribati
• New Zealand
• Papua New Guinea
• Samoa
• Solomon Islands
• Tonga
• Tuvalu

Most remaining Pacific countries and territories—including Vanuatu, Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands—drive on the right and thus are left-hand drive.

Americas and the Caribbean

The mainland Americas overwhelmingly drive on the right (LHD). Left-side driving is found mainly in the Caribbean and in two mainland South American countries.

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Bahamas
• Barbados
• Dominica
• Grenada
• Guyana
• Jamaica
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Saint Lucia
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Suriname
• Trinidad and Tobago

All other sovereign states in North, Central, and South America—including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, and others—are left-hand drive.

Notable territories and dependencies that drive on the left (thus not LHD)

While the question is about countries, many travelers encounter territories where traffic keeps left even if the parent state does not. Here are prominent examples to be aware of.

• Hong Kong and Macau (Special Administrative Regions of China)
• Isle of Man, Jersey, and Guernsey (Crown Dependencies of the UK)
• UK Overseas Territories driving on the left, including Bermuda; Cayman Islands; Turks and Caicos; British Virgin Islands; Anguilla; Montserrat; Falkland Islands; Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha; and Pitcairn Islands
• Akrotiri and Dhekelia (UK Sovereign Base Areas on Cyprus)
• Cook Islands, Niue, and Tokelau (in free association with or territory of New Zealand)
• Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands (Australia)
• United States Virgin Islands (notably left-side traffic despite US association)

Outside these territories and dependencies, right-side driving—and thus left-hand drive vehicles—is the global norm.

So, which countries have left-hand drive?

All countries not listed in the left-driving sections above use left-hand drive vehicles because they drive on the right. That includes virtually all of continental Europe; the United States and Canada; Mexico and most of Latin America; mainland China; South Korea; Taiwan; most of continental Southeast Asia (e.g., Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar); the Middle East (e.g., Saudi Arabia, UAE, Israel, Jordan, Iran, Turkey); and most of Africa.

Selected examples of left-hand drive countries by region

The following sampling (not exhaustive) shows the breadth of left-hand drive usage worldwide.

• Europe: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Croatia, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria
• Americas: United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Belize, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti
• Asia: China (mainland), South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Mongolia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan
• Africa: Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya’s neighbors Rwanda and Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Angola, Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Senegal, The Gambia
• Oceania: Vanuatu, Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands

If your destination isn’t among the left-driving exceptions, you can safely assume it uses left-hand drive vehicles.

Summary

Left-hand drive is the global standard because most countries drive on the right. Only a defined set of nations—primarily the UK and Ireland in Europe; parts of southern and eastern Africa; India, Japan, and several South/Southeast Asian states; Australia, New Zealand, and a handful of Pacific island countries; plus select Caribbean states—drive on the left and therefore do not use LHD. When in doubt: right-side traffic equals left-hand drive.

Which 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.

How many countries are left-hand drive?

There are 163 countries and territories that drive on the right side of the road, while 76 of them drive on the left. Many of the countries that drive on the left — making up about 30% of the world’s population — are former British colonies, including ones in Southeast Asia, Southern Africa, and Oceania.

Is the UK left-hand drive?

Despite these challenges, left-hand driving has become an integral part of driving culture in the UK. It is worth noting, however, that many countries around the world drive on the right-hand side of the road, including the United States, Canada, and most of Europe.

Which country has right-hand drive?

The majority of the world – around two-thirds of countries – drives on the right-hand side, including: USA and Canada (Canada switched from left to right in the 1920s to align with the US) Most of Europe (France, Spain, Italy, Germany, etc.) China and Russia.