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
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Level of Metric Adoption
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Complete, but Retains A Few Non-metric Units for Specific or Everyday Purposes
Metric-System Country
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Yes
Canada
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Level of Metric Adoption
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Partially Complete, but Stalled
Metric-System Country
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Yes
Hong Kong
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Level of Metric Adoption
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Almost Complete
Metric-System Country
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Yes
Indonesia
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Level of Metric Adoption
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Almost Complete
Metric-System Country
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Yes
Ireland
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Level of Metric Adoption
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Almost Complete
Metric-System Country
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Yes
Jamaica
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Level of Metric Adoption
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Partially Complete
Metric-System Country
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Yes
Japan
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Level of Metric Adoption
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Complete, but Retains A Few Non-metric Units for Specific or Everyday Purposes
Metric-System Country
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Yes
Liberia
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Level of Metric Adoption
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Partially Complete
Metric-System Country
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No
Macau
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Level of Metric Adoption
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Almost Complete
Metric-System Country
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Yes
Malaysia
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Level of Metric Adoption
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Almost Complete
Metric-System Country
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Yes
Mexico
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Level of Metric Adoption
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Complete, but Retains A Few Non-metric Units for Specific or Everyday Purposes
Metric-System Country
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Yes
Myanmar
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Metric-System Country
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No
North Korea
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Level of Metric Adoption
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Partially Complete. Retains Formal Use of Traditional Units
Metric-System Country
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Yes
People's Republic of China
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Level of Metric Adoption
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Almost Complete
Metric-System Country
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Yes
Peru
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Level of Metric Adoption
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Almost Complete
Metric-System Country
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Yes
Philippines
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Level of Metric Adoption
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Almost Complete
Metric-System Country
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Yes
South Korea
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Level of Metric Adoption
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Complete, but Retains A Few Non-metric Units for Specific or Everyday Purposes
Metric-System Country
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Yes
Sri Lanka
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Level of Metric Adoption
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Almost Complete
Metric-System Country
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Yes
Sweden
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Level of Metric Adoption
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Complete, but Retains A Few Non-metric Units for Specific or Everyday Purposes
Metric-System Country
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Yes
Taiwan
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Level of Metric Adoption
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Almost Complete
Metric-System Country
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Yes
Thailand
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Level of Metric Adoption
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Almost Complete
Metric-System Country
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Yes
Trinidad and Tobago
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Level of Metric Adoption
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Partially Complete, but Stalled
Metric-System Country
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Yes
United Kingdom
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Level of Metric Adoption
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Partially Complete, but Stalled
Metric-System Country
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Yes
United States of America
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Level of Metric Adoption
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Partially Complete, but Stalled
Metric-System Country
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No
