The timezone CET in Algeria

Only 1 nationwide time zone

Standard time:	UTC +1	Central European Time (CET)
Daylight saving time:	UTC +2	discontinued 1980

Algeria has an east-west extension of 16.6 degrees of longitude. Given the country's location in Northern Africa, this corresponds to about 1600 kilometers. At this extension, the sun's course is noticeable at different positions in the country, but it still turns out to be moderate. The position of the sun in the west of the country differs from that in the east by about 66 minutes. This means the sun rises and sets 66 minutes later in the west than in the east.


The Central European Time also applies in parts of Spain, in Tunisia, Svalbard, Netherlands, Andorra, Serbia, Germany, Slovakia, Belgium, Hungary, Denmark, Gibraltar, Slovenia, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Bouvet Island, France, Montenegro, Czechia, Italy, San Marino, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Sweden, Albania, Liechtenstein, Vatican, Austria, Poland, Croatia, Switzerland, Kosovo and in Norway.

No more daylight saving time in Algeria

Due to the sun's orbit around the equator, the days are longer in summer (June to September in the northern hemisphere). Countries that switch to daylight saving time in the summer months align the daylight phase with the human rhythm. Unused bright morning hours are thus shifted into the evening (more information on daylight saving time here).

Due to the relative proximity to the equator, the impact in Algeria is not particularly large. Algiers is only 4,100 km from the equator. A day in midsummer would then not last from 05:27 to 20:11, but from 06:27 to 21:11. The effect would be quite noticeable in the evening, but the sun rising later in the morning falls at a time when many people are already awake. Thus, in 1980, the decision was made to finally abandon daylight saving time in Algeria.

Changes in Daylight Saving Times

In Algeria Daylight Saving Time has been observed since 1916 until 10/31/1980.