List of date formats by country

Different countries have distinct legal and cultural norms regarding the representation of dates and times, making it crucial to understand the various all-numeric date formats used locally to accurately interpret the intended date. Traditionally, writers have utilized local conventions to create abbreviated date forms, resulting in numeric representations for day–month sequences like "2 March 2025" (02/03/25, 02/03/2025, 02-03-2025, or 02.03.2025) and month–day sequences such as "March 2, 2025" (03/02/25 or 03/02/2025). This practice can lead to confusion, as some dates may be misinterpreted without proper context. For example, the abbreviated date "01/11/06" could mean "1 November 2006" in a DMY format, "January 11, 2006" in an MDY format, or even "November 6, 2001" in a YMD format. To address these discrepancies, the ISO 8601 standard specifies the format YYYY-MM-DD (2025-03-02), aiming to unify date representation and ensure clarity across different contexts. While many nations have embraced this format as their official standard, it's still common for individuals in these regions to use outdated abbreviated styles.