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Explanation of the different alternating current electricity voltages and frequencies used throughout
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List of Worldwide AC Voltages and Frequencies
by Ron Kurtus (revised 18 August 2005)
The voltage and frequency of alternating current (AC) electricity used in homes varies from country to country throughout
the world. Typically either 110-volt AC (110V) or 220-volt AC (220V) are used. Note that 110 volts and 220 volts are averages,
since the voltage does fluctuate during usage. Most countries use 50Hz (50 Hertz or 50 cycles per second) as the frequency
of their AC. Only a handful use 60Hz. The United States uses 110V and 60Hz AC electricity.
Questions you may have include:
- How were the voltage and frequency values selected?
- What happens when you visit another country?
- What is the listing for the various countries?
This lesson will answer those questions.
Useful tool: Metric-English Conversion
Country listing
Of the over 200 countries listed below, less than 40 use 110V. Some countries use dual voltages. 43 countries use 60Hz,
while the rest use 50Hz.
| Country |
Voltage |
Frequency |
| Afghanistan |
220V |
50Hz |
| Albania |
230V |
50Hz |
| Algeria |
230V |
50Hz |
| American Samoa |
120V |
60Hz |
| Andorra |
230V |
50Hz |
| Angola |
220V |
50Hz |
| Anguilla |
110V |
60Hz |
| Antigua |
230V |
60Hz |
| Argentina |
220V |
50Hz |
| Armenia |
230V |
50Hz |
| Aruba |
127V |
60Hz |
| Australia |
240V |
50Hz |
| Austria |
230V |
50Hz |
| Azerbaijan |
220V |
50Hz |
| Azores |
230V |
50Hz |
| Bahamas |
120V |
60Hz |
| Bahrain |
230V |
50Hz |
| Balearic Islands |
230V |
50Hz |
| Bangladesh |
220V |
50Hz |
| Barbados |
115V |
50Hz |
| Belarus |
230V |
50Hz |
| Belgium |
230V |
50Hz |
| Belize |
110/220V |
60Hz |
| Benin |
220V |
50Hz |
| Bermuda |
120V |
60Hz |
| Bhutan |
230V |
50Hz |
| Bolivia |
230V |
50Hz |
| Bosnia |
230V |
50Hz |
| Botswana |
230V |
50Hz |
| Brazil |
110-220V |
60Hz |
| Brunei |
240V |
50Hz |
| Bulgaria |
230V |
50Hz |
| Burkina Faso |
220V |
50Hz |
| Burundi |
220V |
50Hz |
| Cambodia |
230V |
50Hz |
| Cameroon |
220V |
50Hz |
| Canada |
120V |
60Hz |
| Canary Islands |
230V |
50Hz |
| Cape Verde |
230V |
50Hz |
| Cayman Islands |
120V |
60Hz |
| Central Africa |
220V |
50Hz |
| Chad |
220V |
50Hz |
| Channel Islands |
230V |
50Hz |
| Chile |
220V |
50Hz |
| China |
220V |
50Hz |
| Colombia |
110V |
60Hz |
| Comoros |
220V |
50Hz |
| Congo (Zaire) |
220V |
50Hz |
| Cook Islands |
240V |
50Hz |
| Costa Rica |
120V |
60Hz |
Côte d'Ivoire
(Ivory Coast) |
220V |
50Hz |
| Croatia |
230V |
50Hz |
| Cuba |
110/220V |
60Hz |
| Cyprus |
230V |
50Hz |
| Czech Republic |
230V |
50Hz |
| Denmark |
230V |
50Hz |
| Djibouti |
220V |
50Hz |
| Dominica |
230V |
50Hz |
| Dominican Republic |
110V |
60Hz |
| East Timor |
220V |
50Hz |
| Ecuador |
127V |
60Hz |
| Egypt |
220V |
50Hz |
| El Salvador |
115V |
60Hz |
| Equatorial Guinea |
220V |
50Hz |
| Eritrea |
230V |
50Hz |
| Estonia |
230V |
50Hz |
| Ethiopia |
220V |
50Hz |
| Faeroe Islands |
230V |
50Hz |
| Falkland Islands |
240V |
50Hz |
| Fiji |
240V |
50Hz |
| Finland |
230V |
50Hz |
| France |
230V |
50Hz |
| French Guyana |
220V |
50Hz |
| Gaza |
230V |
50Hz |
| Gabon |
220V |
50Hz |
| Gambia |
230V |
50Hz |
| Germany |
230V |
50Hz |
| Ghana |
230V |
50Hz |
| Gibraltar |
230V |
50Hz |
| Greece |
230V |
50Hz |
| Greenland |
230V |
50Hz |
| Grenada |
230V |
50Hz |
| Guadeloupe |
230V |
50Hz |
| Guam |
110V |
60Hz |
| Guatemala |
120V |
60Hz |
| Guinea |
220V |
50Hz |
| Guinea-Bissau |
220V |
50Hz |
| Guyana |
240V |
60Hz |
| Haiti |
110V |
60Hz |
| Honduras |
110V |
60Hz |
| Hong Kong |
220V |
50Hz |
| Hungary |
230V |
50Hz |
| Iceland |
230V |
50Hz |
| India |
240V |
50Hz |
| Indonesia |
230V |
50Hz |
| Iran |
230V |
50Hz |
| Iraq |
230V |
50Hz |
| Ireland (Eire) |
230V |
50Hz |
| Isle of Man |
230V |
50Hz |
| Israel |
230V |
50Hz |
| Italy |
230V |
50Hz |
| Jamaica |
110V |
50Hz |
| Japan |
100V |
50/60Hz |
| Jordan |
230V |
50Hz |
| Kenya |
240V |
50Hz |
| Kazakhstan |
220V |
50Hz |
|
|
| Country |
Voltage |
Frequency. |
| Kiribati |
240V |
50Hz |
| Korea, South |
220V |
60Hz |
| Kuwait |
240V |
50Hz |
| Kyrgyzstan |
220V |
50Hz |
| Laos |
230V |
50Hz |
| Latvia |
230V |
50Hz |
| Lebanon |
230V |
50Hz |
| Lesotho |
220V |
50Hz |
| Liberia |
120V |
60Hz |
| Libya |
127/230V |
50Hz |
| Lithuania |
230V |
50Hz |
| Liechtenstein |
230V |
50Hz |
| Luxembourg |
230V |
50Hz |
| Macau |
220V |
50Hz |
| Macedonia |
230V |
50Hz |
| Madagascar |
127/220V |
50Hz |
| Madeira |
230V |
50Hz |
| Malawi |
230V |
50Hz |
| Malaysia |
240V |
50Hz |
| Maldives |
230V |
50Hz |
| Mali |
220V |
50Hz |
| Malta |
230V |
50Hz |
| Martinique |
220V |
50Hz |
| Mauritania |
220V |
50Hz |
| Mauritius |
230V |
50Hz |
| Mexico |
127V |
60Hz |
| Micronesia |
120V |
60Hz |
| Moldova |
230V |
50Hz |
| Monaco |
230V |
50Hz |
| Mongolia |
230V |
50Hz |
| Montserrat Islands |
230V |
60Hz |
| Morocco |
220V |
50Hz |
| Mozambique |
220V |
50Hz |
| Myanmar (Burma) |
230V |
50Hz |
| Namibia |
220V |
50Hz |
| Nauru |
240V |
50Hz |
| Nepal |
230V |
50Hz |
| Netherlands |
230V |
50Hz |
| Netherlands Antilles |
127/220V |
50Hz |
| New Caledonia |
220V |
50Hz |
| New Zealand |
230V |
50Hz |
| Nicaragua |
120V |
60Hz |
| Niger |
220V |
50Hz |
| Nigeria |
240V |
50Hz |
| Norway |
230V |
50Hz |
| Okinawa |
100V |
60Hz |
| Oman |
240V |
50Hz |
| Pakistan |
230V |
50Hz |
| Palmyra Atoll |
120V |
60Hz |
| Panama |
110V |
60Hz |
| Papua New Guinea |
240V |
50Hz |
| Paraguay |
220V |
50Hz |
| Peru |
220V |
60Hz |
| Philippines |
220V |
60Hz |
| Poland |
230V |
50Hz |
| Portugal |
230V |
50Hz |
| Puerto Rico |
120V |
60Hz |
| Qatar |
240V |
50Hz |
| Réunion Island |
230V |
50Hz |
| Romania |
230V |
50Hz |
| Russian Federation |
230V |
50Hz |
| Rwanda |
230V |
50Hz |
| St. Kitts & Nevis Islands |
230V |
60Hz |
| St. Lucia Island |
240V |
50Hz |
| St. Vincent Island |
230V |
50Hz |
| Saudi Arabia |
127/220V |
60Hz |
| Senegal |
230V |
50Hz |
| Serbia & Montenegro |
230V |
50Hz |
| Seychelles |
240V |
50Hz |
| Sierra Leone |
230V |
50Hz |
| Singapore |
230V |
50Hz |
| Slovakia |
230V |
50Hz |
| Slovenia |
230V |
50Hz |
| Somalia |
220V |
50Hz |
| South Africa |
230V |
50Hz |
| Spain |
230V |
50Hz |
| Sri Lanka |
230V |
50Hz |
| Sudan |
230V |
50Hz |
| Suriname |
127V |
60Hz |
| Swaziland |
230V |
50Hz |
| Sweden |
230V |
50Hz |
| Switzerland |
230V |
50Hz |
| Syria |
220V |
50Hz |
| Tahiti |
110/220V |
60Hz |
| Tajikistan |
220V |
50Hz |
| Taiwan |
110V |
60Hz |
| Tanzania |
230V |
50Hz |
| Thailand |
220V |
50Hz |
| Togo |
220V |
50Hz |
| Tonga |
240V |
50Hz |
| Trinidad & Tobago |
115V |
60Hz |
| Tunisia |
230V |
50Hz |
| Turkey |
230V |
50Hz |
| Turkmenistan |
220V |
50Hz |
| Uganda |
240V |
50Hz |
| Ukraine |
230V |
50Hz |
| United Arab Emirates |
220V |
50Hz |
| United Kingdom |
230V |
50Hz |
| United States |
110/220V |
60Hz |
| Uruguay |
220V |
50Hz |
| Uzbekistan |
220V |
50Hz |
| Venezuela |
120V |
60Hz |
| Vietnam |
220V |
50Hz |
| Virgin Islands |
110V |
60Hz |
| Western Samoa |
230V |
50Hz |
| Yemen |
230V |
50Hz |
| Zambia |
230V |
50Hz |
| Zimbabwe |
220V |
50Hz |
|
Summary
The voltage and frequency of AC electricity varies from country to country throughout the world. Most use 220V and 50Hz.
About 20% of the countries use 110V and/or 60Hz to power their homes. 220V and 60Hz are the most efficient values, but only
a few countries use that combination. The United States uses 110V and 60Hz AC electricity.
Electrify society by applying your knowledge of science
Resources and references
Following are some resources on this subject.
Web sites
World Standards - Electricity
standards
Elements of AC Electricity -
Basic electronics tutorial site
DC and AC Electricity Resources
Physics Resources
Books
Basic Electricity by
Bureau of Naval Personnel; Dover Pubns; (1970) $14.95 - Provides thorough coverage of the basic theory of electricity and
its applications
Teach Yourself Electricity
and Electronics by Stan Gibilisco; McGraw-Hill; (2001) $34.95 - Guide for professionals, hobbyists and technicians
desiring to learn AC and DC circuits
What do you think?
Do you have any questions, comments, or opinions on this subject? If so, send
an email with your feedback. I will try to get back to you as soon as possible.
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List of Worldwide AC Voltages and Frequencies
