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Explanation of the different alternating current electricity voltages and frequencies used throughout the world - Succeed in Understanding Physics. Also refer to physical science, AC, DC, direct current, Edison, Tesla, volts, Hertz, Hz, transformer, converter, adapter, electric, electronic, Ron Kurtus, School for Champions. Copyright © Restrictions

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. There is a mini-quiz near the end of the lesson.

Useful tools: Metric-English Conversion | Scientific Calculator.

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.

Answers to Readers' Questions

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Electrify society by applying your knowledge of science

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Resources

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

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Mini-quiz to check your understanding

1. Why does using 50Hz frequency result in higher cost electricity?

It is less efficient to generate and requires motors that are more expensive

It is based on the metric system, which is more expensive

It is only used in countries that can't afford 60Hz generators

2. Why doesn't the U.S. use 220 volt AC to power all its appliances?

Tesla did not want 220V, because it was too dangerous

Too many people had 110V appliances, making it too costly to switch over

Because they did not want to switch to the metric system

3. How can you change the setting in a dual voltage device?

There is a switch that indicates 110V or 220V

You can't change the voltage

You must plug in a converter or transformer

If you got all three correct, you are on your way to becoming a Champion in Physics. If you had problems, you had better look over the material again.

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