diff --git a/openedx/core/djangoapps/catalog/utils.py b/openedx/core/djangoapps/catalog/utils.py
index a802075d92..61e40ce4d0 100644
--- a/openedx/core/djangoapps/catalog/utils.py
+++ b/openedx/core/djangoapps/catalog/utils.py
@@ -263,8 +263,8 @@ def get_localized_price_text(price, request):
     # Override default user_currency if location is available
     if user_location and get_currency_data:
         currency_data = get_currency_data()
-        user_country = pycountry.countries.get(alpha2=user_location)
-        user_currency = currency_data.get(user_country.alpha3, user_currency)
+        user_country = pycountry.countries.get(alpha_2=user_location)
+        user_currency = currency_data.get(user_country.alpha_3, user_currency)
 
     return format_price(
         price=(price * user_currency['rate']),
diff --git a/requirements/edx/base.in b/requirements/edx/base.in
index 17a41376ab..2e767558c7 100644
--- a/requirements/edx/base.in
+++ b/requirements/edx/base.in
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ piexif==1.0.2                       # Exif image metadata manipulation, used in
 Pillow                              # Image manipulation library; used for course assets, profile images, invoice PDFs, etc.
 py2neo<4.0.0                       # Used to communicate with Neo4j, which is used internally for modulestore inspection
 PyContracts==1.7.1
-pycountry==1.20
+pycountry
 pycryptodomex==3.4.7
 pygments                            # Used to support colors in paver command output
 pygraphviz                          # No longer in use?  Optional dependency of networkx, from edx-sandbox/shared.in
diff --git a/requirements/edx/base.txt b/requirements/edx/base.txt
index 62f5c0917e..55bb91ad65 100644
--- a/requirements/edx/base.txt
+++ b/requirements/edx/base.txt
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ polib==1.1.0              # via edx-i18n-tools
 psutil==1.2.1
 py2neo==3.1.2
 pycontracts==1.7.1
-pycountry==1.20
+pycountry==18.12.8
 pycparser==2.19
 pycryptodomex==3.4.7
 pygments==2.3.1
diff --git a/requirements/edx/development.txt b/requirements/edx/development.txt
index 4653142f18..b79371f61d 100644
--- a/requirements/edx/development.txt
+++ b/requirements/edx/development.txt
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ pyasn1-modules==0.2.4
 pyasn1==0.4.5
 pycodestyle==2.5.0
 pycontracts==1.7.1
-pycountry==1.20
+pycountry==18.12.8
 pycparser==2.19
 pycryptodomex==3.4.7
 pydispatcher==2.0.5
diff --git a/requirements/edx/testing.txt b/requirements/edx/testing.txt
index ba777092e5..ff031bb6b9 100644
--- a/requirements/edx/testing.txt
+++ b/requirements/edx/testing.txt
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ pyasn1-modules==0.2.4     # via service-identity
 pyasn1==0.4.5             # via pyasn1-modules, service-identity
 pycodestyle==2.5.0
 pycontracts==1.7.1
-pycountry==1.20
+pycountry==18.12.8
 pycparser==2.19
 pycryptodomex==3.4.7
 pydispatcher==2.0.5       # via scrapy