Currency symbols are a quick way to identify a specific unit of money. For example, you know $20 means 20 US dollars because of the $ currency symbol. Since there are hundreds of currencies around the world, it’s useful to have a type of shorthand to refer to each one.
Familiarize yourself with various currency symbols around the world so you can recognize them when you travel, send money internationally, or make foreign transactions.
Key takeaways
● Currency symbols are a quick way to identify different units of money, such as the dollar ($), the pound (£), and the yen (¥).
● A currency symbol is a graphical representation, such as €, while a currency code is a three-letter identifier, such as EUR.
● Once you’re familiar with different currency symbols, you’ll be able to recognize them while shopping, traveling, or transferring money.
How world currency symbols are used
Currency symbols are notations that indicate a specific currency. They’re usually placed next to figures that represent the amount of money and are used to differentiate between currencies in a simple, legible way.
A currency symbol is not the same thing as an ISO code, which is a globally standardized, three-letter way of referring to a country or its currency. The currency symbol for the US dollar is $, while the ISO code for the dollar is USD.
World currency symbols are commonly placed before the digits with no space, like this: £100. However, sometimes you’ll see a currency symbol placed after the digits with some currencies, such as with the euro or the Saudi Arabian riyal.
Most recognized global currency symbols
You’re probably familiar with the currency symbol for the US dollar ($), as it’s the most frequently used currency in the world. Other top currency symbols include:
● Euro (€): The official currency of the eurozone.
● Japanese yen (¥): A major factor in global markets and forex trading.
● British pound sterling (£): The oldest currency still used today.
● Swiss franc (₣): Often used as a safe haven in periods of economic volatility.
● Indian rupee (₹): A primary currency of one of the largest economies in the world.
Symbols of currencies around the world
Below is a list of world currency symbols, grouped by region.
Currency symbols in Europe
Twenty countries of the eurozone use the euro, while other European countries, like Iceland, use their own fiat currencies.
| Country | Currency | Currency Symbol | Currency Code |
| Eurozone countries | Euro | € | EUR |
| Albania | Albanian lek | L | ALL |
| Belarus | Belarusian ruble | Br | BYN |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark | KM | BAM |
| Bulgaria | Bulgarian lev | лв | BGN |
| Czechia | Czech koruna | Kč | CZK |
| Denmark | Danish krone | kr | DKK |
| Hungary | Hungarian forint | ft | HUF |
| Iceland | Icelandic króna | kr, Íkr | ISK |
| Liechtenstein | Swiss franc | CHF | CHF |
| Moldova | Moldovan leu | L | MDL |
| North Macedonia | Second Macedonian denar | ден | MKD |
| Norway | Norwegian krone | kr | NOK |
| Poland | Polish zloty | zł | PLN |
| Romania | Romanian leu | lei | RON |
| Russia | Russian ruble | ₽ | RUB |
| Serbia | Serbian dinar | RSD | RSD |
| Sweden | Swedish krona | kr | SEK |
| Switzerland | Swiss franc | CHF | CHF |
| Turkey | Turkish lira | ₺ | TRY |
| Ukraine | Ukrainian hryvna | ₴ | UAH |
| United Kingdom | Pounds sterling | £ | GBP |
Currency symbols in the Americas
Several countries in North and South American, such as El Salvador, use the US dollar as their currency. Others call their currency a dollar but add letters to distinguish it from the US dollar. Meanwhile, the peso is a popular currency in Argentina, Chile, Dominican Republic, and Mexico.
| Country | Currency | Currency Symbol | Currency Code |
| US dollar countries | US dollar | $ | USD |
| Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) | East Caribbean dollar | $ | XCD |
| Aruba | Aruban florin | ƒ | AWG |
| Argentina | Argentine peso | $ | ARS |
| The Bahamas | Bahamian dollar | B$ | BSD |
| Barbados | Barbadian dollar | $ | BBD |
| Bermuda |
Bermudian dollar |
$ | BMD |
| Belize | Belize dollar | BZ$ | BZD |
| Bolivia | Bolivian boliviano | Bs | BOB |
| Brazil | Brazilian real | R$ | BRL |
| Canada | Canadian dollar | CA$ | CAD |
| Cayman Islands | Cayman Islands dollar | CI$ | KYD |
| Chile | Chilean peso | $ | CLP |
| Colombia | Colombian peso | $ | COP |
| Costa Rica | Costa Rican colón | ₡ | CRC |
| Cuba | Cuban peso | CUC$ | CUP |
| Curaçao | Netherlands Antillean guilder | ƒ | ANG |
| Dominican Republic | Dominican peso | RD$ | DOP |
| Falkland Islands | Falkland Islands pound | FK£ | FKP |
| Guatemala | Guatemalan quetzal | Q | GTQ |
| Guyana | Guyanese dollar | G$ | GYD |
| Haiti | Haitian gourde | G | HTG |
| Honduras | Honduran lempira | L | HNL |
| Jamaica | Jamaican dollar | J$ | JMD |
| Mexico | Mexican peso | $ | MXN |
| Nicaragua | Nicaraguan córdoba | C$ | NIO |
| Panama | Panamanian balboa | B/. | PAB |
| Paraguay | Paraguayan guaraní | ₲ | PYG |
| Peru | Peruvian sol | S/. | PEN |
| Sint Maarten | Netherlands Antillean guilder | ƒ | ANG |
| Suriname | Surinamese dollar | Sr$ | SRD |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Trinidad and Tobago dollar | TT$ | TTD |
| Uruguay | Uruguayan peso | $U | UYU |
| Venezuela | Venezuelan bolívar | Bs. | VED |
| Belize | Belize dollar | BZ$ | BZD |
Currency symbols in the Middle East
Currency symbols in Middle Eastern countries are often in Arabic and placed after the amount instead of before it.
| Country | Currency | Currency Symbol | Currency Code |
| Bahrain | Bahraini dinar | .د.ب | BHD |
| Iraq | Iraqi dinar | ع.د | IQD |
| Iran | Iranian rial | ﷼ | IRR |
| Israel | New Israeli shekel | ₪ | ILS |
| Jordan | Jordanian dinar | ينار | JOD |
| Kuwait | Kuwaiti dinar | ك | KWD |
| Lebanon | Lebanese pound | ل.ل | LBP |
| Oman | Omani rial | ر.ع | OMR |
| Palestine | Israeli shekel | ₪ | ILS |
| Qatar | Qatari riyal | ر.ق | QAR |
| Saudi Arabia | Saudi riyal | SR | SAR |
| Syria | Syrian pound | £S | SYP |
| United Arab Emirates (UAE) | Emirati dirham | AED | AED |
| Yemen | Yemeni rial | ﷼ | YER |
Currency symbols in Africa
Most African countries have their own currency. Zimbabwe relies on the US dollar since its official currency, the Zimbabwe Gold Dollar (ZiG), is not globally accepted.
| Country | Currency | Currency Symbol | Currency Code |
| Central Africa | CFA franc | FCFA | XAF |
| West Africa | CFA franc | CFA | XOF |
| Algeria | Algerian dinar | دج | DZD |
| Angola | Angolan kwanza | Kz | AOA |
| Botswana | Botswana pula | P | BWP |
| Burundi | Burundian franc | FBu | BIF |
| Cabo Verde | Cape Verdean escudo | CVE | CVE |
| Comoros | Comoran franc | CF | KMF |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | Congolese franc | FC | CDF |
| Djibouti | Djiboutian franc | Fdj | DJF |
| Egypt | Egyptian pound | E£ | EGP |
| Eritrea | Eritrean nakfa | Nkf | ERN |
| Ethiopia | Ethiopian birr | Br | ETB |
| Eswatini | Lilangeni | L | SZL |
| Gambia | Dalasi | D | GMD |
| Ghana | Ghanaian cedi | GH₵ | GHS |
| Guinea | Guinean franc | FG | GNF |
| Kenya | Kenyan shilling | KSh | KES |
| Lesotho | Lesotho loti | L | LSL |
| Liberia | Liberian dollar | LD$ | LRD |
| Libya | Libyan dinar | LD | LYD |
| Madagascar | Malagasy ariary | Ar | MGA |
| Malawi | Malawian kwacha | K | MWK |
| Mauritania | Ouguiya | UM | MRU |
| Mauritius | Mauritian rupee | Rs | MUR |
| Morocco | Moroccan dirham | DH | MAD |
| Mozambique | Mozambican metical | MT | MZN |
| Namibia | Namibian dollar | N$ | NAD |
| Nigeria | Nigerian naira | ₦ | NGN |
| Rwanda | Rwandan franc | R₣ | RWF |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | São Tomé and Príncipe dobra | Db | STN |
| Seychelles | Seychellois rupee | SR | SCR |
| Sierra Leone | Sierra Leonean leone | Le | SLL |
| Somalia | Somali shilling | Sh.So. | SOS |
| South Africa | South African rand | R | ZAR |
| South Sudan | South Sudanese pound | SS£ | SSP |
| Sudan | Sudanese pound | SDG | SDG |
| Tanzania | Tanzanian shilling | TSh | TZS |
| Tunisia | Tunisian dinar | د.ت | TND |
| Uganda | Ugandan shilling | USh | UGX |
| Zambia | Zambian Kwacha | K | ZMK |
| Zimbabwe | United States dollar | $ | USD |
Currency symbols in Asia and Oceania
In Asian and Pacific countries, there’s a wide variety of currencies and currency symbols, from the New Zealand dollar ($) to the Kazakhstani tenge (₸). The symbol for China’s currency, ¥, is the same as that of the Japanese yen.
| Country | Currency | Currency Symbol | Currency Code |
| Afghanistan | Afghan afghani | ؋ | AFN |
| Armenia | Armenian dram | ֏, դր | AMD |
| Azerbaijan | Azerbaijani manat | ₼ | AZN |
| Australia | Australian dollar | A$ | AUD |
| Bangladesh | Bangladeshi taka | ৳ | BDT |
| Bhutan | Bhutanese ngultrum | Nu | BTN |
| Brunei | Brunei dollar | B$ | BND |
| Cambodia | Cambodian riel | ៛ | KHR |
| China | Renminbi (Chinese yuan) | ¥ | CNY |
| Georgia | Lari | ლარი | GEL |
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong dollar | HK$ | HKD |
| Indonesia | Indonesian rupiah | Rp | IDR |
| India | Indian rupee | ₹ | INR |
| Japan | Japanese yen | ¥ | JPY |
| Kazakhstan | Kazakhstani tenge | ₸ | KZT |
| Kyrgyzstan | Kyrgyzstani som | som | KGS |
| Laos | Lao kip | ₭ | LAK |
| Macau | Macanese pataca | MOP$ | MOP |
| Malaysia | Malaysian ringgit | RM | MYR |
| Maldives | Maldivian rufiyaa | MRf | MVR |
| Mongolia | Mongolian tögrög | ₮ | MNT |
| Myanmar | Kyat | K | MMK |
| Nepal | Nepalese rupee | Rs | NPR |
| New Zealand | New Zealand dollar | $ | NZD |
| North Korea | North Korean won | ₩ | KPW |
| Pakistan | Pakistani rupee | Rs | PKR |
| Philippines | Philippine peso | ₱ | PHP |
| Singapore | Singapore dollar | S$ | SGD |
| South Korea | South Korean won | ₩ | KRW |
| Sri Lanka | Sri Lankan rupee | Rs | LKR |
| Taiwan | New Taiwan dollar | NT$ | TWD |
| Tajikistan | Somoni | TJS | TJS |
| Timor-Leste | United States dollar | $ | USD |
| Thailand | Thai baht | ฿ | THB |
| Turkmenistan | Turkmen new manat | m | TMT |
| Uzbekistan | Uzbekistan som | som | UZS |
| Vietnam | Vietnamese đồng | ₫ | VND |
Cryptocurrency symbols
Cryptocurrencies are used globally for digital transactions, investments, and cross-border payments. Like traditional currencies, each cryptocurrency has its own unique symbol. Below are some of the most widely recognized cryptocurrency symbols.
| Currency | Currency Symbol | Currency Code |
| Bitcoin | ₿ | XBT or BTC |
| Binance coin / BNB | BNB | BNB |
| Ethereum | Ξ | ETH |
| Solana | SOL | SOL |
| Tether | ₮ | USDT |
| Ripples | XRP | XRP |
Keyboard shortcuts for world currency symbols
Many world currency symbols aren’t immediately apparent on your keyboard. Here are a few keyboard shortcuts to help. Hold down the first key of the shortcut while typing the subsequent characters.
Windows shortcuts
● Dollar ($): Shift + 4
● Euro (€): Alt + 0128
● Yen (¥): Alt + 0165
● Pound (£): Alt + 0163
Mac shortcuts
● Dollar ($): Shift + 4
● Euro (€): Option + Shift + 2
● Yen (¥): Option + Y
● Pound (£): Option + 3
Inserting currency symbols in documents and spreadsheets
You can add world currency symbols to your word processing documents and spreadsheets by using special menu commands. Here’s how to do it in some of the most used programs:
● Microsoft Word: Go to “Insert” and select “Symbol,” then “More Symbols.”
● Google Docs: Under “Insert,” choose “Symbols,” then “Special Characters.”
● Microsoft Excel: Select “Format Cells” and then “Currency.” In the Format Cell window, choose which currency symbol to use.
● Google Sheets: Choose “Format” and then “Number” and then “Currency.” Scroll down to “Custom Currencies” to change to an alternative currency.
Simplifying global money understanding
Money moves across borders every day. Recognizing world currency symbols is an important and practical skill. It empowers you to push past your horizons, whether you’re working, traveling, shopping, or simply learning about someplace new.
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FAQs
There are almost 300 currencies in use around the world, but the number of currency symbols is much smaller. That’s because many currencies use the same symbol, while other currencies don’t use a unique symbol but rather a code with letters.
The most common currency symbols are the dollar ($), the yen (¥), the pound (£), and the euro (€).
A currency symbol is a graphical representation, often a unique combination of shapes and strokes. A currency code, on the other hand, is a three-letter code that represents a particular currency, such as USD for the US dollar.
Many countries share the same currency symbol, even when their fiat currency differs. For example, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Barbados, Canada, Mexico, and Singapore (and many more) use the dollar sign ($) for their currency. China and Japan both use the ¥ symbol for their currency, and multiple Scandinavian countries use the symbol “kr” for their currency.
It can be useful to have a reference guide like this one when sending money abroad so you make sure to use the correct currency symbol. Western Union’s currency converter can help by using easily recognizable currency codes so you can choose the right currency for your transfer.
