In the Netherlands and Belgium, the Euro has been used as the national currency since 2002, replacing the guilder and the Belgian franc. In Europe there are many more countries where the Euro is the legal tender, most of which are united in the Euro zone. But there are also many countries in Europe and beyond that use other currencies.
Currencies
Our current economic systems use money, with an agreed value. All countries in the world use their own currency for their money. Some countries make agreements with each other, allowing them to use one currency or to use the currency of another country. In the case of some smaller countries you see this happening more often. For example, Liechtenstein uses the Swiss franc as its currency.
Euro as currency
A number of European Union countries have adopted the Euro as their new currency since 2002. From that moment on, the Belgian franc , the Dutch guilder , the Deutsche mark , the Italian lira and many more old national currencies disappeared from view. The European countries that use the Euro as their currency are united within the Eurozone. After 2002, countries were regularly added to the Eurozone. In addition, there are also some small countries, such as Vatican City and San Marino, that are too small for their own currency. They have been given permission to also use the Euro, but are not officially part of the Eurozone or European Union.
Agreements about money
Within the Eurozone, making agreements about the financial policy to be pursued is a necessity. Huge budget deficits that can even lead to bankruptcies of countries can have disastrous consequences for all countries within the Eurozone. An example of this is the crisis surrounding Greece, where in 2015 a Greek exit from the Euro, the so-called Grexit, seemed to have been barely prevented.
Multiple coins
There are a special situation in some countries in the world, for example China and the Netherlands.
- Although Hong Kong now officially belongs to China, the country is still a special region, where old laws and rules are still valid for a while. Hong Kong therefore has a different currency than the rest of China.
- The Kingdom of the Netherlands consists of different territories, where a total of four different currencies are used. Because every country within the kingdom is autonomous, this is not surprising. But the islands of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba have been part of the Netherlands since 2010, as a special municipality. However, these islands do not use the Euro, but use the American dollar.
Euro table
In the table below you see countries that have officially adopted the Euro as their currency. You also see the countries that still use the Euro.
|
Country |
Currency used |
Abbreviation |
|
Belgium |
Euro |
EUR |
|
Germany |
Euro |
EUR |
|
Estonia |
Euro |
EUR |
|
Finland |
Euro |
EUR |
|
France |
Euro |
EUR |
|
Greece |
Euro |
EUR |
|
Ireland |
Euro |
EUR |
|
Italy |
Euro |
EUR |
|
Luxembourg |
Euro |
EUR |
|
Malta |
Euro |
EUR |
|
Monaco |
Euro |
EUR |
|
The Netherlands |
Euro |
EUR |
|
Austria |
Euro |
EUR |
|
Portugal |
Euro |
EUR |
|
San Marino |
Euro |
EUR |
|
Slovenia |
Euro |
EUR |
|
Slovakia |
Euro |
EUR |
|
Spain |
Euro |
EUR |
|
Vatican |
Euro |
EUR |
Countries with a currency other than the Euro
The number of countries that use a currency other than the Euro is – of course – much larger. In the list below you will see a large number of countries, with the currency and the official abbreviation used for that currency.
|
Country |
Currency used |
Official abbreviation |
|
Afghanistan |
Afghani |
AFN |
|
Albania |
Leak |
ALL |
|
Algeria |
Algerian dinar |
DZD |
|
Argentina |
Argentine peso |
ARS |
|
Armenia |
Dram |
AMD |
|
Aruba |
Aruban florin |
A.W.G |
|
Australia |
Australian dollar |
AUD |
|
Barbados |
Barbadian dollar |
BBD |
|
Bermuda |
Bermuda dollar |
BMD |
|
Bonaire |
U.S. dollar |
USD |
|
Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Bosnian Convertible Mark |
BAM |
|
Brazil |
Real |
BRL |
|
Bulgaria |
Lev |
BGN |
|
Cambodia |
Riel |
KHR |
|
Canada |
Canadian dollar |
CAD |
|
Chili |
Chilean peso |
CLP |
|
China |
Renminbi |
CNY |
|
Colombia |
Colombian peso |
COP |
|
Congo-Kinshasa |
Congolese franc |
CDF |
|
Costa Rica |
Costa Rican colon |
CRC |
|
Cuba |
Cuban peso |
CUP |
|
Curacao |
Antillean guilder (Becomes: Caribbean guilder) |
ANG (Becomes: CMG) |
|
Denmark |
Danish crown |
DKK |
|
Dominican Republic |
Dominican peso |
DOP |
|
Egypt |
Egyptian pound |
EGP |
|
Ecuador |
U.S. dollar |
USD |
|
Fiji |
Fiji dollar |
FJP |
|
Philippines |
Philippine peso |
PHP |
|
Gibraltar |
Gibraltarian pound |
GIP |
|
Guatemala |
Quetzal |
GTQ |
|
Haiti |
Gourde |
HTG |
|
Honduras |
Lempira |
HNL |
|
Hungary |
Forint |
HUF |
|
Hong-Kong |
Hong Kong dollar |
HMO |
|
Iceland |
Icelandic krone |
ISK |
|
India |
Indian rupee |
INR |
|
Indonesia |
Rupiah |
IDR |
|
Iraq |
Iraqi dinar |
IRD |
|
Iran |
Iranian rial |
IRR |
|
Israel |
New Israeli shekel |
NIS |
|
Jamaica |
Jamaican dollar |
J.M.D |
|
Japan |
Yen |
JPY |
|
Jordan |
Jordanian dinar |
JOD |
|
Cayman Islands |
Cayman Islands dollar |
KYD |
|
Cape Verde |
Cape Verdean escudo |
CVE |
|
Kenya |
Kenyan shilling |
KES |
|
Croatia |
Kuna |
HRK |
|
Laos |
Chicken |
LACQUER |
|
Latvia |
Lats |
LVL |
|
Lebanon |
Lebanese pound |
LBP |
|
Liechtenstein |
Swiss Franc |
CHF |
|
Lithuania |
Litas |
LTL |
|
Libya |
Libyan dinar |
LYD |
|
Madagascar |
Ariary |
M.G.A |
|
Malaysia |
Ringgit |
MYR |
|
Morocco |
Moroccan dirham |
MAD |
|
Mauritius |
Mauritian rupee |
MUR |
|
Mexico |
Mexican peso |
MXN |
|
Mozambique |
Metical |
MZN |
|
Myanmar |
Kyat |
MMK |
|
Nepal |
Nepalese rupee |
NPR |
|
New Zealand |
New Zealand dollar |
NZD |
|
North Korea |
North Korean won |
KPW |
|
Norway |
Norwegian crown |
NOK |
|
Ukraine |
Hryvnya |
UAH |
|
Pakistan |
Pakistani rupee |
PKR |
|
Panama |
Balboa |
PAB |
|
Poland |
Zloty |
PLN |
|
Romania |
Romanian leu |
RON |
|
Russia |
Ruble |
RUB |
|
Saba |
U.S. dollar |
USD |
|
Saudi Arabia |
Saudi riyal |
SAR |
|
Serbia |
Serbian dinar |
C.S.D |
|
Seychelles |
Seychellois rupiah |
SCR |
|
Singapore |
Singapore dollar |
SGD |
|
St. Eustatius |
U.S. dollar |
USD |
|
St Martin |
Antillean guilder (becomes: Caribbean guilder) |
ANG (CMG) |
|
Sri Lanka |
Sri Lankan rupee |
LKR |
|
Suriname |
Surinamese dollar |
SRD |
|
Syria |
Syrian pound |
SYP |
|
Tanzania |
Tanzanian shilling |
TZS |
|
Thailand |
Baht |
THB |
|
Czech Republic |
Coruna |
CZK |
|
Trinidad and Tobago |
Trinidad and Tobago dollar |
TTD |
|
Turkey |
Turkish lira |
TL |
|
Venezuela |
Bolivar |
VEF |
|
United Kingdom |
Pound sterling |
GBP |
|
United Arab Emirates |
UAE dirham |
AED |
|
United States |
U.S. dollar |
USD |
|
Vietnam |
Dong |
VND |
|
Belarus |
Belarusian ruble |
BYR |
|
South Africa |
Edge |
ZAR |
|
South Korea |
South Korean won |
WFD |
|
Sweden |
Swedish crown |
SEK |
|
Switzerland |
Swiss Franc |
CHF |
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