The ten most traded currencies in the world, ranked by their share of daily foreign exchange turnover according to the BIS Triennial Central Bank Survey.
Quick answer: 1. US Dollar (USD), 2. Euro (EUR), 3. Japanese Yen (JPY), 4. Sterling (GBP), 5. Chinese Renminbi (CNY), 6. Swiss Franc (CHF), 7. Australian Dollar (AUD), 8. Canadian Dollar (CAD), 9. Hong Kong Dollar (HKD), 10. Singapore Dollar (SGD).
The foreign exchange market is the world's largest financial market, with a daily turnover of $9.6 trillion in April 2025 according to the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) Triennial Central Bank Survey. This list ranks the ten most traded currencies by their share of global FX turnover, meaning the percentage of all trades that involve that currency on at least one side. Because every FX trade involves two currencies, the percentages sum to 200% (each trade is counted twice, once per currency). The US dollar appears on one side of nearly nine out of every ten trades, reflecting its dominance as the world's primary reserve and settlement currency. The rankings shift gradually over time — the Chinese renminbi has risen steadily, while the euro and sterling have declined slightly since the 2022 survey.
The US dollar remains the world's dominant currency, appearing on one side of 89.2% of all FX trades. It is the primary reserve currency, the standard for commodities pricing, and the most widely used settlement currency in international trade.
The euro is the second most traded currency, used by 19 EU member states. Its share declined to 28.9% from 30.6% in 2022, reflecting a slight reduction in euro-denominated trading activity.
The yen held steady at 16.8%, unchanged from 2022. It remains the most traded Asian currency and a major funding currency in carry trades, supported by Japan's deep capital markets.
The British pound saw its share fall to 10.2% from 12.9% in 2022, the largest decline among major currencies. Despite the drop, London remains the world's largest FX trading centre.
The renminbi rose to 8.5% from 6.6% in 2022, the largest gain among all currencies. China's efforts to internationalise the yuan and expand cross-border trade settlement continue to drive growth.
The Swiss franc rose to 6.4% from 5.6% in 2022, reflecting its continued status as a safe-haven currency. Switzerland's deep and liquid FX market supports the franc's outsize trading share relative to its economy.
The Australian dollar, a proxy for commodity demand, accounted for approximately 6.1% of global FX turnover. It is a favourite among carry-trade investors due to relatively high interest rates.
The Canadian dollar, also a commodity-linked currency, held a share of about 5.5%. It benefits from Canada's large energy and resource exports and deep integration with US markets.
The Hong Kong dollar, pegged to the US dollar, accounted for about 3.5% of global FX turnover. Hong Kong SAR is the fourth-largest FX trading centre globally, behind the UK, US, and Singapore.
The Singapore dollar rounds out the top ten with a share of about 3.1%. Singapore's rapid growth as a global FX hub — capturing 11.8% of all trading — has boosted the currency's presence.
| # | Name | ISO code | Country | 2022 share | Change vs 2022 | Central bank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US Dollar (USD) | USD | United States | 88.4% | +0.8 pp | Federal Reserve |
| 2 | Euro (EUR) | EUR | Eurozone (19 countries) | 30.6% | -1.7 pp | European Central Bank |
| 3 | Japanese Yen (JPY) | JPY | Japan | 16.8% | 0.0 pp | Bank of Japan |
| 4 | Sterling (GBP) | GBP | United Kingdom | 12.9% | -2.7 pp | Bank of England |
| 5 | Chinese Renminbi (CNY) | CNY | China | 6.6% | +1.9 pp | People's Bank of China |
| 6 | Swiss Franc (CHF) | CHF | Switzerland | 5.6% | +0.8 pp | Swiss National Bank |
| 7 | Australian Dollar (AUD) | AUD | Australia | 6.4% | -0.3 pp | Reserve Bank of Australia |
| 8 | Canadian Dollar (CAD) | CAD | Canada | 5.5% | 0.0 pp | Bank of Canada |
| 9 | Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) | HKD | Hong Kong SAR | 3.3% | +0.2 pp | Hong Kong Monetary Authority |
| 10 | Singapore Dollar (SGD) | SGD | Singapore | 2.7% | +0.4 pp | Monetary Authority of Singapore |
Currencies are ranked by their share of average daily global OTC foreign exchange turnover on a net-net basis, as reported in the BIS Triennial Central Bank Survey conducted in April 2025. The survey collects data from more than 1,100 banks and other dealers across 52 jurisdictions and is the most comprehensive source of information on global FX market structure. Shares are reported as a percentage of all trades (each trade counts twice, once per currency pair). Data reflects the final preliminary release published in September 2025. The top 10 currencies by share are included; currencies with a share below approximately 1.5% are not shown.
Because each foreign exchange trade involves two currencies, the BIS counts each currency on both sides of the trade. The total across all currencies equals 200%, not 100%. A currency with an 89.2% share appears on one side of 89.2% of all trades.
The BIS Triennial Central Bank Survey is conducted every three years. The most recent survey was in April 2025, with preliminary results released in September 2025. Final data and analysis are published in the BIS Quarterly Review in December 2025.
Global OTC FX market turnover reached $9.6 trillion per day in April 2025, up 28% from $7.5 trillion in the 2022 survey.