Time Zone History

Libya time zone history

Libya has changed its standard time 6 times since 1970, the most of the 19 zones in Africa. On standard time, clocks at Tripoli run 1 hour 7 minutes ahead of local mean solar time, the largest gap of the 12 zones on UTC+2 standard time whose clocks run ahead of the sun. On October 25, 2013 the summer offset, UTC+2, became permanent standard time; the clocks did not move that day.

UTC+2

Standard time is UTC+2 (EET) all year under the current rules.

tz database name Africa/Tripoli

Convert a time from Libya

Summer time in 10 of 57 years since 1970

UTC+0:52:44, UTC+1: behind today’s standard timeUTC+2: today’s standard timeUTC+0:52:44, UTC+1: behind today’sstandard timeUTC+2: today’s standard time

How to read this chart

Before 1970

19101920193019401950196019701910192019301940195019601970
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec1970198019902000201020202028JFMAMJJASOND1970198019902000201020202028

Standard time changes

DateChangeNew standard timeClock label
Before 1970
January 1, 1920Local mean time (UTC+0:52:44) replacedUTC+1CET
January 1, 1959Standard time forward 1 hourUTC+2EET
Since 1970
January 1, 1982Standard time back 1 hourUTC+1CET
May 4, 1990Standard time forward 1 hourUTC+2EET
September 30, 1996Standard time back 1 hourUTC+1CET
October 4, 1997Summer offset kept as standard time; clocks did not moveUTC+2EET
November 10, 2012Standard time back 1 hourUTC+1CET
October 25, 2013Summer offset kept as standard time; clocks did not moveUTC+2EET

Daylight saving periods

YearsClocks go forwardClocks go backShift and labels
Before 1970
1951–1956dates set year by year (listed below)1 hour, CET to CEST
Since 1970
1982–19841 April, 00:001 October, 00:001 hour, CET to CEST
1985April 6October 11 hour, CET to CEST
1986April 4October 31 hour, CET to CEST
1987–19891 April, 00:001 October, 00:001 hour, CET to CEST
1997April 4not that year1 hour, CET to CEST
2013March 29not that year1 hour, CET to CEST

1951–1956, year by year

  • 1951 forward October 14
  • 1952 back January 1
  • 1953 forward October 9
  • 1954 back January 1
  • 1955 forward September 30
  • 1956 back January 1

Also on UTC+2

Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Egypt, Nicosia (Cyprus), Famagusta (Cyprus), Gaza (Palestine), Moldova, Hebron (Palestine) and Israel (nearest first; 12 more on the list of offsets).

Clocks next door since 1970

  • Malta (355 km): same time except 8,120 days in 1970–2026; 1 hour behind today.
  • Tunisia (513 km): usually 1 hour behind; different on 3,449 days in 20 different years between 1977 and 2013.
  • Italy (1,003 km): same time except 8,358 days in 1970–2026; 1 hour behind today.
  • Algeria (1,020 km): usually 1 hour behind; different on 4,986 days in 1970–1990, 1996, 1997, 2012 and 2013.
  • Albania (1,107 km): same time except 8,761 days in 1970–2026; 1 hour behind today.

How it compares

Daylight saving time was used in 10 years since 1970, last in 2013; under the current rules the clocks no longer change.