Introduction
The metric system of measurement was introduced after the French Revolution in 1789 and succeeded the decimalized system. Previously, many countries used the imperial system of measurement, called so because of its use by the dominant global empire at the time, Great Britain. This measurement spread to all its colonies, including the U.S. where it has remained the system of measurement despite independence. However, Britain now uses the metric system in line with the rest of Europe.
As such, there are only three countries in the world that do not use the metric system; the U.S, Liberia, and Myanmar. Liberia was a colony of the U.S. and so it inherited the imperial system from them, while Myanmar adopted it due to diplomatic isolation which prevented them from joining treaties that would have established the metric system. However, both of these countries are looking to move on from the imperial system and adopt the metric system, which would leave the U.S. as the sole country in the world to not have adopted the metric system.
If you would like to learn more about countries that don’t use the metric system, please refer to the data in the charts.
| Country | Level of Metric Adoption | Metric-System Country |
|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong | Almost Complete | Yes |
| Indonesia | Almost Complete | Yes |
| Ireland | Almost Complete | Yes |
| Macau | Almost Complete | Yes |
| Malaysia | Almost Complete | Yes |
| People's Republic of China | Almost Complete | Yes |
| Peru | Almost Complete | Yes |
| Philippines | Almost Complete | Yes |
| Sri Lanka | Almost Complete | Yes |
| Taiwan | Almost Complete | Yes |
| Thailand | Almost Complete | Yes |
| Brazil | Complete, but Retains A Few Non-metric Units for Specific or Everyday Purposes | Yes |
| Japan | Complete, but Retains A Few Non-metric Units for Specific or Everyday Purposes | Yes |
| Mexico | Complete, but Retains A Few Non-metric Units for Specific or Everyday Purposes | Yes |
| South Korea | Complete, but Retains A Few Non-metric Units for Specific or Everyday Purposes | Yes |
| Sweden | Complete, but Retains A Few Non-metric Units for Specific or Everyday Purposes | Yes |
| Jamaica | Partially Complete | Yes |
| Liberia | Partially Complete | No |
| Myanmar | Partially Complete | No |
| Canada | Partially Complete, but Stalled | Yes |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Partially Complete, but Stalled | Yes |
| United Kingdom | Partially Complete, but Stalled | Yes |
| United States of America | Partially Complete, but Stalled | No |
| North Korea | Partially Complete. Retains Formal Use of Traditional Units | Yes |
Use of the Metric System by Country
Brazil
Level of Metric Adoption
Complete, but Retains A Few Non-metric Units for Specific or Everyday Purposes
Metric-System Country
Yes
Canada
Level of Metric Adoption
Partially Complete, but Stalled
Metric-System Country
Yes
Hong Kong
Level of Metric Adoption
Almost Complete
Metric-System Country
Yes
Indonesia
Level of Metric Adoption
Almost Complete
Metric-System Country
Yes
Ireland
Level of Metric Adoption
Almost Complete
Metric-System Country
Yes
Jamaica
Level of Metric Adoption
Partially Complete
Metric-System Country
Yes
Japan
Level of Metric Adoption
Complete, but Retains A Few Non-metric Units for Specific or Everyday Purposes
Metric-System Country
Yes
Liberia
Level of Metric Adoption
Partially Complete
Metric-System Country
No
Macau
Level of Metric Adoption
Almost Complete
Metric-System Country
Yes
Malaysia
Level of Metric Adoption
Almost Complete
Metric-System Country
Yes
Mexico
Level of Metric Adoption
Complete, but Retains A Few Non-metric Units for Specific or Everyday Purposes
Metric-System Country
Yes
Myanmar
Level of Metric Adoption
Partially Complete
Metric-System Country
No
North Korea
Level of Metric Adoption
Partially Complete. Retains Formal Use of Traditional Units
Metric-System Country
Yes
People's Republic of China
Level of Metric Adoption
Almost Complete
Metric-System Country
Yes
Peru
Level of Metric Adoption
Almost Complete
Metric-System Country
Yes
Philippines
Level of Metric Adoption
Almost Complete
Metric-System Country
Yes
South Korea
Level of Metric Adoption
Complete, but Retains A Few Non-metric Units for Specific or Everyday Purposes
Metric-System Country
Yes
Sri Lanka
Level of Metric Adoption
Almost Complete
Metric-System Country
Yes
Sweden
Level of Metric Adoption
Complete, but Retains A Few Non-metric Units for Specific or Everyday Purposes
Metric-System Country
Yes
Taiwan
Level of Metric Adoption
Almost Complete
Metric-System Country
Yes
Thailand
Level of Metric Adoption
Almost Complete
Metric-System Country
Yes
Trinidad and Tobago
Level of Metric Adoption
Partially Complete, but Stalled
Metric-System Country
Yes
United Kingdom
Level of Metric Adoption
Partially Complete, but Stalled
Metric-System Country
Yes
United States of America
Level of Metric Adoption
Partially Complete, but Stalled
Metric-System Country
No
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