Strongest and Weakest Currencies in 2026: In today’s ever-changing and volatile global market, which currency holds the title of the most valuable?
While there are 180 currencies recognised as legal tender worldwide, only a select few are truly considered the strongest and most valuable.
Many assume that the US dollar is the strongest currency due to its widespread popularity, influence, and usage, but this does not necessarily reflect its true worth or power.
While the US dollar is the most traded currency globally, the Kuwaiti dinar is the world’s strongest and most valuable.
The US dollar, on the other hand, is tenth on the list of the strongest currencies and is the world’s largest reserve currency, meaning it is the currency most commonly held by central banks.
It is also the preferred currency for pricing critical commodity markets such as oil, gold, and copper.
European currencies—including the Euro, Swiss franc, and Gibraltar pound—also rank among the world’s highest-valued units.
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Omani Rial (OMR) (Source: Shutterstock)
A few Middle Eastern currencies, like the Bahraini dinar and Omani rial, dominate the top tier, supported by their oil and diversified economies.
While the above currencies are generally stable due to the strength of the countries behind them, those that are undervalued often remain obscure.
The Lebanese pound is considered the weakest currency in the world, with one US dollar worth 89,414.95 Lebanese pounds.
The Iranian rial follows next, which is worth $0.000024, i.e., $1 would buy 42,086 Iranian rials.
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Iranian Rial (Source: Sputnik News)
Determining the most and least valuable currencies requires evaluating factors such as foreign exchange supply and demand, inflation, economic growth, central bank policies, and overall economic stability.
Top 10 most valued (strongest) currencies in the world in 2026
#1
Kuwaiti Dinar (KWD)
Kuwait
1 KWD Equals $3.24 USD ₹295.44 INR
#2
Bahraini Dinar (BHD)
Bahrain
1 BHD Equals $2.65 USD ₹241.31 INR
#3
Omani Rial (OMR)
Oman
1 OMR Equals $2.60 USD ₹236.61 INR
#4
Jordanian Dinar (JOD)
Jordan
1 JOD Equals $1.41 USD ₹128.32 INR
#5
British Pound (GBP)
United Kingdom
1 GBP Equals $1.34 USD ₹122.25 INR
#6
Gibraltar Pound (GIP)
Gibraltar (UK)
1 GIP Equals $1.34 USD ₹122.24 INR
#7
Swiss Franc (CHF)
Switzerland
1 CHF Equals $1.25 USD ₹114.19 INR
#8
Cayman Islands Dollar (KYD)
Cayman Islands
1 KYD Equals $1.20 USD ₹109.32 INR
#9
Euro (EUR)
Eurozone (20 EU)
1 EUR Equals $1.16 USD ₹106.07 INR
#10
US Dollar (USD)
United States
1 USD Equals $1.00 USD ₹90.96 INR
Indian Express InfoGenIE
Top 10 least valued (weakest) currencies in the world in 2026
#1
Lebanese Pound (LBP)
Lebanon
1 USD Equals 89,414.95 LBP 1 INR = 983.28 LBP
#2
Iranian Rial (IRR)
Iran
1 USD Equals 42,086 IRR 1 INR = 462.66 IRR
#3
Vietnamese Dong (VND)
Vietnam
1 USD Equals 26,263.95 VND 1 INR = 288.61 VND
#4
Laotian Kip (LAK)
Laos
1 USD Equals 21,595.09 LAK 1 INR = 237.23 LAK
#5
Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)
Indonesia
1 USD Equals 16,968.2 IDR 1 INR = 186.41 IDR
#6
Uzbekistan Som (UZS)
Uzbekistan
1 USD Equals 11,945.99 UZS 1 INR = 131.24 UZS
#7
Guinean Franc (GNF)
Guinea
1 USD Equals 8,742.64 GNF 1 INR = 96.03 GNF
#8
Burundian Franc (BIF)
Burundi
1 USD Equals 2,956.33 BIF 1 INR = 32.47 BIF
#9
Malagasy Ariary (MGA)
Madagascar
1 USD Equals 4,527.61 MGA 1 INR = 49.73 MGA
#10
Paraguayan Guarani (PYG)
Paraguay
1 USD Equals 6,657.41 PYG 1 INR = 73.14 PYG
Indian Express InfoGenIE
Source: The data is from Forbes’ list, published on January 9, 2026, with currencies ranked according to their exchange rate value against the USD as of January 20, 2026, sourced from its currency converter, which is based on data from Open Exchange.
Note: Value per unit means the amount of foreign currency (such as USD or INR) that one single unit of a currency can buy in the exchange market.
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