A kopeck saves a ruble: the top most expensive currencies in the world

Currency is a commodity expressed in foreign money (cash, non-cash). We can buy many things with the money we hold in our hands every day: food, clothes, tickets, services.

For the common man money is not happiness, but it brings stability. So it is for the state: the more expensive and stable the currency, the more positive solutions for the economic situation. Let's talk about the impact on the value of money and present a rating of the most expensive currencies.

Factors affecting the global value of currencies

Economists separate "currency" from "money" because the latter term can be applied to goods if they are to be paid for.

There are three types of currency:

• foreign;
• collective;
• national.

A collective currency is one that is used simultaneously by several states as a national currency. The best modern example is the euro.

Many citizens daily follow financial news from magazines, newspapers, currency exchange rates. The cost of imported goods to Russia increases if foreign currencies rise against the ruble. Today everyone knows about it. But what affects the increase in price?

The first system of monetary relations was found as far back as antiquity:

• issuance of national means of payment;
• convertibility;
• currency control system;
• the size of the gold reserves;
• the rules of international settlements.

The main reason for a change in the exchange rate is a decline or increase in demand. An additional influence is supply. These complex mechanisms work under the influence of the following factors:

• activity or passivity of the balance of payments in the country (passive induces to pay debts in foreign currency by selling the national currency);
• increase in inflation (an increase in the money supply);
• speculation on foreign exchange markets;
• demand for a means of payment on international markets.

Political stability and economic development of the country plays no small role in exchange rate changes. We present the top 10 most expensive currencies in relation to the dollar and other monetary units.

Rating of the most expensive currencies

To find out how stability affects the price of the payment element, let's find out which currency is the most expensive.

10th place - the Singapore dollar

Singapore began issuing its own money in 1967, it was pegged to the British pound. The country, one of the poorest and most dependent in Southeast Asia, today occupies the top lines in the ranking of economic freedom. The welfare of citizens is growing, they can afford expensive cars, real estate.

Interesting fact: it can replace the Brunei dollar at a ratio of 1 to 1.

The inflation rate is 1.2%. The Bank of Russia sets the rate of the Singapore currency on a daily basis.

9th place - the Brunei dollar

Its official name is the ringgit, but the word is hardly ever used, and the currency symbol is often replaced by the symbol $. As Singapore's main partner, Brunei has pegged its currency to the Singapore dollar. Today, citizens are allowed to exchange 1:1, as they were decades ago.

Brunei's ringgit is the most expensive currency in Southeast Asia. Notably, both Singapore and Brunei are tiny states. The country has a developed economy based on the extraction and processing of expensive natural resources.

 8th place - Australian dollar

Despite Australia's remoteness from major continents, the dollar is among the strongest currencies in the world. They are printed not on paper, but on plastic, which makes them expensive and recognizable. Modern banknotes have the highest degree of protection, convex marks for the blind.

It consistently ranks among the top ten most traded currencies in the world economy. Australia is a stable and wealthy nation. In terms of purchasing power parity, its citizens surpass those of Germany and Great Britain. The main principle of stability - the freedom to do business.

7th place - the U.S. dollar

It is the monetary unit of the states:

• U.S;
• Salvador;
• Zimbabwe;
• Marshall Islands.

An additional function is the reserve. According to the largest economic agencies, the share of dollar transactions between banks worldwide is 41%. Today, the reserve currency is not backed by anything. The Federal Reserve System (Fed) acts as a central bank. It does not operate under the laws of the country, but as an independent agency. It unites twelve federal banks under its roof. The Fed issues loans to national banks in other countries at 1% (the last rate increase was in March 2017).

The largest bill has a face value of $100. 35 million banknotes are made in the country every day.

6th place - Swiss franc

Time passes, the world goes through wars, revolutions, and the Swiss francs are still highly prized. They are in circulation in Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

Switzerland stuck to gold parity until the last. After the 1932 global crisis (the Great Depression), the franc collapsed by 30%. After World War II, it was pegged to the U.S., but this measure was canceled in 1973. Since then, the U.S. currency has fallen by more than four times against the Swiss currency.

It is used as a means of payment by banks less frequently than the Russian ruble, but the stability and stability of the economy allows the franc to be used as an expensive reserve currency. The rate of inflation is so insignificant that it is taken as zero.

5th place - Euro

EU countries decided to put into circulation a single currency unit in 1999. Since then, it has shown stability, the inflation rate is 2%. As a national currency is in circulation in 28 countries, only 19 of them are members of the "Eurozone".

The European Union is an area of stable earnings and economic growth. The introduction of a single currency has reduced the risks associated with convertibility. Due to the fact that the share of euro transactions between banks in the world exceeds 30%, it is among the reserve currencies. However, the euro is not the most expensive currency in Europe.

4th place - British Pound

Despite the widespread myth, the British pound sterling is not the world's most expensive unit of currency. It holds the palm position in Europe. It is used as national banknotes throughout the kingdom and its maritime territories.

The country's economic stability and low inflation rate (last reported in spring 2018, it was 1.2%) allows it to remain important in the system of international payments.

The pound sterling was the main reserve currency for several centuries. Its popularity fell sharply after World War II, when the era of the dollar began. Currency pair sterling - euro is exchanged at a ratio of 1:1.11.

3rd place - Omani riyal

The exchange rate of the Omani rial is not free. It is tied to the U.S. currency and fluctuates depending on changes in world markets.

Oman is a rich state on the shores of the Arabian Sea. It exports expensive oil, gas, and metals. The population is small, lives stably, and receives benefits. To support the economy, Oman is now focusing on the tourism sector. A wealthy Omani can take a loan to build a hotel at low interest.

2nd place - Bahraini dinar

In the late 1950s, the Indian rupee was in circulation in the Gulf countries. It held its position for a long time. Bahrain issued its own money only in 1965.

The monetary policy of most Eastern monarchies is based on a peg to the U.S. dollar, which makes the money stable. For them, there is no concept of the "most expensive rate." If the U.S. currency goes up, the dinar tends to go up.

Interesting fact: the Jordanian dinar is not actually tied to the dollar, but to the unit of the International Monetary Fund, the Special Drawing Rights. This money is in circulation only within the IMF, no banknotes are printed.

Bahrain is actively developing the offshore sector as oil reserves come to an end.

1st place - Kuwaiti dinar

Самая дорогая валюта в мире на 2023 год — динар Государства Кувейт. Среднестатистический курс к рублю: 1:220. Он в 3 раза крепче американского доллара.

Kuwait has been at war with Iraq for a long time, issuing new banknotes, then declaring them invalid. The country is now the 7th largest in the world in terms of GDP. The reason for the rapid recovery is oil exports. Kuwait adopted the US dollar as a peg, but after its two devaluations it abandoned this policy.

The dinar is pegged to the monetary units of the multicurrency basket, which includes the monetary units of Kuwait's partner states. The financial policy allows the dinar to maintain its leadership.