It’s common to hear talk of one currency being “stronger” or “weaker” than another. This comparison helps determine how much of each currency is required to make purchases. A currency that’s stronger than another means it requires less of that currency to purchase the same good or service. The opposite is true for weaker currencies.
The graph above compares two currencies with the US dollar (USD) over the past 3 years: the Swiss franc (CHF) and the Canadian dollar (CAD). As we can see, the USD/CHF exchange rate is almost always below 1, while the USD/CAD rate is always above 1 (always above 1.2, in fact). This means, in general, that a Swiss franc is stronger than a US dollar and a Canadian dollar is weaker than a US dollar.
Example: If a cup of coffee in the US costs 3 USD, it would require only 2.61 CHF but 4.02 CAD to purchase that cup of coffee.
Most USD currency exchange rates in FRED appear with the USD as the “base currency” (or numerator in the ratio) and the foreign currency is the “quote currency” (or denominator). This formula answers the following question: For each USD, how much of the foreign currency would it take to achieve the same value? However, there are a few exceptions where the USD is the quote currency—most notably, when comparing it with the British pound sterling (GBP) and the euro (EUR).
The second graph compares the USD with the GBP and EUR. Currently (i.e., at the end of August 2023), the USD is weaker than both those currencies, as the exchange rates are both greater than 1. So, it takes more than 1 USD to match the value of 1 GBP or 1 EUR.
As both graphs show, exchange rates fluctuate daily. There are many factors that can cause an exchange rate to change. One key reason is differences in a country’s inflation rate. Countries with higher inflation tend to have higher interest rates (to help curb inflation) compared with countries with lower inflation rates. For more on these topics, look to these blog posts from Ana Maria Santacreu and YiLi Chien.
Other factors include the amount of public debt. If national debt gets too high relative to national income, it raises the chance a country will create more currency to pay its bills. This can cause a currency to weaken, as the supply of currency increases and/or the demand falls as people sell their own currency for other nations’ currencies.
Finally, overall economic strength plays a role, as countries with robust and stable economies will be more attractive to investors, which increases demand for its currency as more business is conducted within its borders.
How these graphs were created: For the first graph, search FRED for “Swiss Franc to US Dollar” and click on Swiss Francs to US Dollar Spot Exchange Rate. Then click “Add Line” in the “Edit Graph” section, search for “Canadian Dollar to US Dollar Spot Exchange,” and click “Add data series.” Then adjust the time frame to the past 3 years. For the second graph, search for “US Dollars to Euro Spot Exchange Rate” and click on the first option. Then click “Add Line” in the “Edit Graph” section, search for “US Dollars to UK Pound Sterling Spot Exchange Rate,” and click “Add Series.” Then adjust the time frame to the past 3 years.
Suggested by Charles Gascon and Jack Fuller.
FAQs
The relative strength and weakness of a given currency versus a rival is influenced by a number of factors, but the most common are the interest rates of each country, the trade balance of each country, and the perceived stability of the currency and the governments.
What is a strong currency and a weak currency? ›
The U.S. dollar is considered strong or weak in comparison to the values of other major currencies. A strong dollar means U.S. exports cost more in foreign markets. A weak dollar means imports are costlier for American consumers to buy. The value of the U.S. dollar fluctuates constantly in response to market demand.
Is the U.S. dollar strong or weak right now? ›
Despite uncertain macro conditions, the dollar has continued to demonstrate strength — largely thanks to sticky inflation, a resilient U.S. economy and year-to-date highs in yields. Indeed, in a display of U.S. exceptionalism, the greenback has gained against just about every other major currency in 2024.
Is it better for the U.S. dollar to be strong or weaker? ›
A strong dollar is good for some and not so good for others. A strengthening dollar means U.S. consumers benefit from cheaper imports and less expensive foreign travel. U.S. companies that export or rely on global markets for the bulk of their sales are financially hurt when the dollar strengthens.
What is the weakest currency in the world? ›
What Is the Weakest Currency in the World? The weakest currency in the world is the Iranian rial (IRR). The USD to IRR operational rate of exchange is 371,992, meaning that one U.S. dollar equals 371,922 Iranian rials.
How to know which currency is stronger than the other? ›
The best way to judge a currency's strength is by observing its value in relation to other currencies over many years. Supply, demand, inflation, and other economic factors will cause changes to a currency's relative price.
What does it look like if the U.S. dollar is weak? ›
Essentially, a weak dollar means that a U.S. dollar can be exchanged for smaller amounts of foreign currency. The effect of this is that goods priced in U.S. dollars, as well as goods produced in non-US countries, become more expensive to U.S. consumers.
What is the strongest currency now? ›
Kuwaiti Dinar (KWD)
The Kuwaiti dinar continues to remain the highest currency in the world, owing to Kuwait's economic stability.
Who benefits from a weak dollar? ›
A weaker dollar, however, can be good for exporters, making their products relatively less expensive for buyers abroad. Investors can also try to profit from a falling dollar by owning foreign-currency ETFs or investing in U.S. exporting companies.
Will the dollar collapse in 2024? ›
We expect 2024 to be a year of diverging trends for the dollar. It will likely move lower on a broad trade-weighted basis early in the year but stabilize as the year progresses. Although we expect a general downward drift for the dollar, performance of individual currencies will likely vary widely.
Prior to 1971, the US dollar was backed by gold. Today, the dollar is backed by 2 things: the government's ability to generate revenues (via debt or taxes), and its authority to compel economic participants to transact in dollars.
Who has the best currency in the world? ›
The highest-valued currency in the world is the Kuwaiti Dinar (KWD). Since it was first introduced in 1960, the Kuwaiti dinar has consistently ranked as the world's most valuable currency.
What countries are dropping the U.S. dollar? ›
This is an effort by a growing number of countries to reduce the role of the U.S. dollar in international trade. Countries like India, China, Brazil, Malaysia and Bolivia, among others, are seeking to set up trade channels using currencies other than the almighty dollar.
Who is hurt by a weaker dollar? ›
In short, a weaker dollar means that Americans will find foreign goods to be relatively more expensive than before, but foreign consumers will find U.S. goods less expensive than before.
How to tell if a dollar is strong or weak? ›
What Makes a Currency Strong or Weak? A currency is classified as strong when it is worth more than another country's currency – in other words, if the American dollar was worth half a pound, the pound would be considerably stronger than the dollar.
How do you analyze currency strength? ›
There are five steps in all:
- Identify the base currency.
- Match the base currency with all available Forex pairs.
- Calculate the relative strength of each paired currency.
- Calculate the average score.
- Use the result.
One of the best ways to compare currency exchange rates is to take a look at the exchange rate history. This can be a great way to determine the overall trend of a currency. Most currency exchange sites have a historical chart that can be used to compare the current currency exchange rate against the historical rate.
What defines how strong a currency is? ›
Currency strength expresses the value of currency. For economists, it is often calculated as purchasing power, while for financial traders, it can be described as an indicator, reflecting many factors related to the currency; for example, fundamental data, overall economic performance (stability) or interest rates.
What determines the strength of the dollar? ›
When demand for the dollar increases then so does its value. Conversely, if the demand decreases, so does the value. The demand for the dollar increases when international parties, such as foreign citizens, foreign central banks, or foreign financial institutions demand more dollars.
