What is a Currency?
Do you know that the word “currency” is derived from the Latin word “currere”, meaning ‘to run’ or ‘to flow’? A currency (i.e. money) serves as a medium of exchange for goods and services within a country’s borders. Currencies are issued by all central banks of the world in the form of paper notes and coins. However, many countries do not have their own central bank and thus adopt a foreign or mutual currency. A country’s currency can (usually) be traded against another country’s currency at dynamic rates on the foreign exchange (FX) market.
Countries of the World
The most accepted definition of a ‘country’ is a sovereign state whose borders are fully acknowledged by every other accepted country of the world. Currently, there are 194 fully recognised countries in the world, plus three partially acknowledged sovereign states: Kosovo, Palestine and Taiwan. In addition to the world’s 197 countries, there are also 55 territories and dependencies. However, there are currently only around 160 official national currencies in global circulation.
Countries Without A Currency
Many countries do not have a currency of their own for political and/or economic reasons. Thus, these countries either adopt a foreign or mutual currency for official use. For instance, 20 member states of the EU use the Euro, as well as two non-member countries and 14 overseas territories. The US dollar is currently adopted in the USA, 9 sovereign states, and 8 overseas (including 3 non-US) territories as official currency. The West African CFA franc (XOF) is currently used by 8 countries in West Africa. Similarly, the Central African CFA franc (XAF) has so far been adopted by 6 independent African states. The East Caribbean dollar (XCD) is an official currency that is currently shared by 8 Caribbean island nations.
Countries and Currencies
Here’s a complete list of the Countries and Territories of the world and their currencies :
Country/Territory |
Currency |
Code |
Afghanistan | Afghan afghani | AFN |
Akrotiri and Dhekelia (UK) | European euro | EUR |
Aland Islands (Finland) | European euro | EUR |
Albania | Albanian lek | ALL |
Algeria | Algerian dinar | DZD |
American Samoa (USA) | US dollar | USD |
Andorra | European euro | EUR |
Angola | Angolan kwanza | AOA |
Anguilla (UK) | East Caribbean dollar XCD | XCD |
Antigua and Barbuda | East Caribbean dollar | XCD |
Argentina | Argentine peso | ARS |
Armenia | Armenian dram | AMD |
Aruba (Netherlands) | Aruban florin AWG | AWG |
Ascension Island (UK) | Saint Helena pound | SHP |
Australia | Australian dollar | AUD |
Austria | European euro | EUR |
Azerbaijan | Azerbaijan manat | AZN |
Bahamas | Bahamian dollar | BSD |
Bahrain | Bahraini dinar | BHD |
Bangladesh | Bangladeshi taka | BDT |
Barbados | Barbadian dollar | BBD |
Belarus | Belarusian ruble | BYN |
Belgium | European euro | EUR |
Belize | Belize dollar | BZD |
Benin | West African CFA franc | XOF |
Bermuda (UK) | Bermudian dollar | BMD |
Bhutan | Bhutanese ngultrum | BTN |
Bolivia | Bolivian boliviano | BOB |
Bonaire (Netherlands) | United States dollar | USD |
Bosnia & Herzegovina | Bos & Herz convertible mark | BAM |
Botswana | Botswana pula | BWP |
Brazil | Brazilian real | BRL |
British Indian Ocean Terr. (UK) | United States dollar | USD |
British Virgin Islands (UK) | United States dollar | USD |
Brunei | Brunei dollar | BND |
Bulgaria | Bulgarian lev | BGN |
Burkina Faso | West African CFA franc XOF | XOF |
Burundi | Burundi franc | BIF |
Cabo Verde | Cabo Verdean escudo | CVE |
Cambodia | Cambodian riel | KHR |
Cameroon | Central African CFA franc | XAF |
Canada | Canadian dollar | CAD |
Caribbean Netherlands (NLD) | United States dollar | USD |
Cayman Islands (UK) | Cayman Islands dollar | KYD |
Central African Republic | Central African CFA franc | XAF |
Chad | Central African CFA franc | XAF |
Chatham Islands (NZ) | New Zealand dollar | NZD |
Chile | Chilean peso | CLP |
China | Chinese Yuan/Renminbi | CNY |
Christmas Island (Australia) | Australian dollar | AUD |
Cocos Islands (Australia) | Australian dollar | AUD |
Colombia | Colombian peso | COP |
Comoros | Comorian franc | KMF |
Congo, Dem. Republic of the | Congolese franc | CDF |
Congo, Republic of the | Central African CFA franc | XAF |
Cook Islands (NZ) | Cook Islands dollar | – |
Costa Rica | Costa Rican colon | CRC |
Cote d’Ivoire | West African CFA franc | XOF |
Croatia | European euro | EUR |
Cuba | Cuban peso | CUP |
Curacao (Netherlands) | NLD Antillean guilder | ANG |
Cyprus | European euro | EUR |
Czechia | Czech koruna | CZK |
Denmark | Danish krone | DKK |
Djibouti | Djiboutian franc | DJF |
Dominica | East Caribbean dollar | XCD |
Dominican Republic | Dominican peso | DOP |
Ecuador | United States dollar | USD |
Egypt | Egyptian pound | EGP |
El Salvador | United States dollar | USD |
Equatorial Guinea | Central African CFA franc | XAF |
Eritrea | Eritrean nakfa | ERN |
Estonia | European euro | EUR |
Eswatini | Swazi lilangeni | SZL |
Ethiopia | Ethiopian birr | ETB |
Falkland Islands (UK) | Falkland Islands pound | FKP |
Faroe Islands (Denmark) | Faroese krona | – |
Fiji | Fijian dollar | FJD |
Finland | European euro | EUR |
France | European euro | EUR |
French Guiana (France) | European euro | EUR |
French Polynesia (France) | CFP franc | XPF |
Gabon | Central African CFA franc | XAF |
Gambia | Gambian dalasi | GMD |
Georgia | Georgian lari | GEL |
Germany | European euro | EUR |
Ghana | Ghanaian cedi | GHS |
Gibraltar (UK) | Gibraltar pound | GIP |
Greece | European euro | EUR |
Greenland (Denmark) | Danish krone | DKK |
Grenada | East Caribbean dollar | XCD |
Guadeloupe (France) | European euro | EUR |
Guam (USA) | United States dollar | USD |
Guatemala | Guatemalan quetzal | GTQ |
Guernsey (UK) | Guernsey Pound | GGP |
Guinea | Guinean franc | GNF |
Guinea-Bissau | West African CFA franc | XOF |
Guyana | Guyanese dollar | GYD |
Haiti | Haitian gourde | HTG |
Honduras | Honduran lempira | HNL |
Hong Kong (China) | Hong Kong dollar | HKD |
Hungary | Hungarian forint | HUF |
Iceland | Icelandic krona | ISK |
India | Indian rupee | INR |
Indonesia | Indonesian rupiah | IDR |
Iran | Iranian rial | IRR |
Iraq | Iraqi dinar | IQD |
Ireland | European euro | EUR |
Isle of Man (UK) | Manx pound | IMP |
Israel | Israeli new shekel | ILS |
Italy | European euro | EUR |
Jamaica | Jamaican dollar | JMD |
Japan | Japanese yen | JPY |
Jersey (UK) | Jersey pound | JEP |
Jordan | Jordanian dinar | JOD |
Kazakhstan | Kazakhstani tenge | KZT |
Kenya | Kenyan shilling | KES |
Kiribati | Australian dollar | AUD |
Kosovo | European euro | EUR |
Kuwait | Kuwaiti dinar | KWD |
Kyrgyzstan | Kyrgyzstani som | KGS |
Laos | Lao kip | LAK |
Latvia | European euro | EUR |
Lebanon | Lebanese pound | LBP |
Lesotho | Lesotho loti | LSL |
Liberia | Liberian dollar | LRD |
Libya | Libyan dinar | LYD |
Liechtenstein | Swiss franc | CHF |
Lithuania | European euro | EUR |
Luxembourg | European euro | EUR |
Macau (China) | Macanese pataca | MOP |
Madagascar | Malagasy ariary | MGA |
Malawi | Malawian kwacha | MWK |
Malaysia | Malaysian ringgit | MYR |
Maldives | Maldivian rufiyaa | MVR |
Mali | West African CFA franc | XOF |
Malta | European euro | EUR |
Marshall Islands | United States dollar | USD |
Martinique (France) | European euro | EUR |
Mauritania | Mauritanian ouguiya | MRU |
Mauritius | Mauritian rupee | MUR |
Mayotte (France) | European euro | EUR |
Mexico | Mexican peso | MXN |
Micronesia | United States dollar | USD |
Moldova | Moldovan leu | MDL |
Monaco | European euro | EUR |
Mongolia | Mongolian tugrik | MNT |
Montenegro | European euro | EUR |
Montserrat (UK) | East Caribbean dollar | XCD |
Morocco | Moroccan dirham | MAD |
Mozambique | Mozambican metical | MZN |
Myanmar | Myanmar kyat | MMK |
Namibia | Namibian dollar | NAD |
Nauru | Australian dollar | AUD |
Nepal | Nepalese rupee | NPR |
Netherlands | European euro | EUR |
New Caledonia (France) | CFP franc | XPF |
New Zealand | New Zealand dollar | NZD |
Nicaragua | Nicaraguan cordoba | NIO |
Niger | West African CFA franc | XOF |
Nigeria | Nigerian naira | NGN |
Niue (NZ) | New Zealand dollar | NZD |
Norfolk Island (Australia) | Australian dollar | AUD |
Northern Mariana Islands (USA) | United States dollar | USD |
North Korea | North Korean won | KPW |
North Macedonia | Macedonian denar | MKD |
Norway | Norwegian krone | NOK |
Oman | Omani rial | OMR |
Pakistan | Pakistani rupee | PKR |
Palau | United States dollar | USD |
Palestine | Israeli new shekel | ILS |
Panama | United States dollar | USD |
Papua New Guinea | Papua New Guinean kina | PGK |
Paraguay | Paraguayan guarani | PYG |
Peru | Peruvian sol | PEN |
Philippines | Philippine peso | PHP |
Pitcairn Islands (UK) | New Zealand dollar | NZD |
Poland | Polish zloty | PLN |
Portugal | European euro | EUR |
Puerto Rico (USA) | United States dollar | USD |
Qatar | Qatari riyal | QAR |
Reunion (France) | European euro | EUR |
Romania | Romanian leu | RON |
Russia | Russian ruble | RUB |
Rwanda | Rwandan franc | RWF |
Saba (Netherlands) | United States dollar | USD |
Saint Barthelemy (France) | European euro | EUR |
Saint Helena (UK) | Saint Helena pound | SHP |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | East Caribbean dollar | XCD |
Saint Lucia | East Caribbean dollar | XCD |
Saint Martin (France) | European euro | EUR |
Saint Pierre & Miquelon (FRA) | European euro | EUR |
Saint Vincent & Grenadines | East Caribbean dollar | XCD |
Samoa | Samoan tala | WST |
San Marino | European euro | EUR |
Sao Tome and Principe | Sao Tome and Principe dobra | STN |
Saudi Arabia | Saudi Arabian riyal | SAR |
Senegal | West African CFA franc | XOF |
Serbia | Serbian dinar | RSD |
Seychelles | Seychellois rupee | SCR |
Sierra Leone | Sierra Leonean leone | SLE |
Singapore | Singapore dollar | SGD |
Sint Eustatius (Netherlands) | United States dollar | USD |
Sint Maarten (Netherlands) | NLD Antillean guilder | ANG |
Slovakia | European euro | EUR |
Slovenia | European euro | EUR |
Solomon Islands | Solomon Islands dollar | SBD |
Somalia | Somali shilling | SOS |
South Africa | South African rand | ZAR |
South Georgia Island (UK) | Pound sterling | GBP |
South Korea | South Korean won | KRW |
South Sudan | South Sudanese pound | SSP |
Spain | European euro | EUR |
Sri Lanka | Sri Lankan rupee | LKR |
Sudan | Sudanese pound | SDG |
Suriname | Surinamese dollar | SRD |
Svalbard & Jan Mayen (NOR) | Norwegian krone | NOK |
Sweden | Swedish krona | SEK |
Switzerland | Swiss franc | CHF |
Syria | Syrian pound | SYP |
Taiwan | New Taiwan dollar | TWD |
Tajikistan | Tajikistani somoni | TJS |
Tanzania | Tanzanian shilling | TZS |
Thailand | Thai baht | THB |
Timor-Leste | United States dollar | USD |
Togo | West African CFA franc | XOF |
Tokelau (NZ) | New Zealand dollar | NZD |
Tonga | Tongan pa’anga | TOP |
Trinidad and Tobago | Trinidad and Tobago dollar | TTD |
Tristan da Cunha (UK) | Pound sterling | GBP |
Tunisia | Tunisian dinar | TND |
Turkey | Turkish lira | TRY |
Turkmenistan | Turkmen manat | TMT |
Turks and Caicos Islands (UK) | United States dollar | USD |
Tuvalu | Australian dollar | AUD |
Uganda | Ugandan shilling | UGX |
Ukraine | Ukrainian hryvnia | UAH |
United Arab Emirates | UAE dirham | AED |
United Kingdom | Pound sterling | GBP |
United States of America | United States dollar | USD |
Uruguay | Uruguayan peso | UYU |
US Virgin Islands (USA) | United States dollar | USD |
Uzbekistan | Uzbek Sum | UZS |
Vanuatu | Vanuatu vatu | VUV |
Vatican City | European euro | EUR |
Venezuela | Venezuelan bolivar | VES |
Vietnam | Vietnamese dong | VND |
Wake Island (USA) | United States dollar | USD |
Wallis and Futuna (France) | CFP franc | XPF |
Yemen | Yemeni rial | YER |
Zambia | Zambian kwacha | ZMW |
Zimbabwe | United States dollar | USD |
Header image credit: Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0