---
title: "Ranked: The World’s Most Powerful Reserve Currencies"
type: "News"
locale: "en"
url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/270890873.md"
description: "The U.S. dollar remains the dominant global reserve currency, comprising nearly 58% of total reserves, with central banks holding approximately $6.6 trillion in dollar-denominated assets. The euro is the second most significant reserve currency, accounting for about 20% of global reserves. Other currencies like the Japanese yen, British pound, and Chinese yuan hold smaller shares. Despite talks of de-dollarization, the dollar's dominance persists due to its role in global trade and as a safe-haven asset."
datetime: "2025-12-27T10:35:35.000Z"
locales:
  - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/270890873.md)
  - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/270890873.md)
  - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/270890873.md)
---

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# Ranked: The World’s Most Powerful Reserve Currencies

_(Click on image to enlarge)_

  
Central bank reserve holdings are used to stabilize currencies, settle international trade, and manage financial crises.

This visualization ranks the world’s leading reserve currencies, showing how global reserves are distributed across major currencies today. The data for this visualization comes from the International Monetary Fund, using COFER (Currency Composition of Official Foreign Exchange Reserves) data. Reserve values are reported in nominal U.S. dollars.

##   
The Dollar Still Dominates Global Reserves

The U.S. dollar remains the backbone of the global reserve system, with central banks holding approximately $6.6 trillion in dollar-denominated reserves. This represents nearly 58% of total reported global reserves.

Currency

Value (USD mn)

Share of Total (%)

U.S. dollar

6,629,977

57.79%

Euro

2,275,618

19.84%

Japanese yen

667,012

5.81%

Pound sterling

542,754

4.73%

Other currencies

532,892

4.65%

Canadian dollar

318,074

2.77%

Chinese yuan (renminbi)

249,891

2.18%

Australian dollar

235,463

2.05%

Swiss franc

20,476

0.18%

Total

11,472,157

100.00%

Despite frequent discussions around de-dollarization, the dollar continues to benefit from deep U.S. financial markets, global trade invoicing, and its role as a safe-haven asset during periods of uncertainty.

##   
The Euro’s Role as the Main Alternative

The euro ranks second, accounting for nearly $2.3 trillion, or about 20% of global reserves.

Beyond the dollar and the euro, reserve holdings are spread across several smaller currencies. The Japanese yen and British pound together account for roughly 11% of global reserves, reflecting their long-standing financial stability and deep markets.

Other currencies, including the Canadian and Australian dollars, the Chinese yuan, and the Swiss franc, each hold relatively small shares. Notably, while China’s yuan has gained visibility in global trade and finance, it still represents just over 2% of global reserves.

* * *

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