11/10/2025
News: Birr ranked among the weakest African currencies
The Ethiopian Birr (ETB) has been ranked among the weakest currencies in Africa in 2025, reflecting persistent economic pressures linked to inflation, political instability, and foreign exchange shortages.
In comparison with global currencies this year, the Ethiopian Birr is one of the four weakest African currencies—performing better only than the Leone (SLE), Franc (GNF), and Pound (SDG), according to a report published by the financial analysis platform XS.com on 7 October 2025.
The report places the Birr 18th among the 21 weakest African currencies by nominal value against the U.S. dollar. One U.S. dollar is equivalent to approximately 145 Birr, or 0.0068 U.S. dollars per Birr, as of early October.
XS.com attributes the Birr’s weakness to structural challenges, including inflationary pressures, limited foreign reserves, and a widening gap between official and parallel exchange market rates. The report notes that the Birr “remains overvalued on the official market compared to parallel rates, creating pressure for gradual devaluation.”
Ethiopia’s economic performance has been constrained by domestic instability, high import dependency, and a shortage of hard currency, factors that continue to weigh on the value of the Birr.
By contrast, several North African currencies are ranked among the strongest on the continent. The Tunisian Dinar (TND), Libyan Dinar (LYD), and Moroccan Dirham (MAD) lead the list of Africa’s strongest currencies in 2025, supported by stable macroeconomic policies, export performance, and prudent fiscal management.
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