In 2023, 46% of all trade in goods outside the EU was conducted in euros and 42% in US dollars, according to the official EU website.
EU currencies other than the euro were used in 2% of trade, and other currencies accounted for 10% of trade.
The euro was the most used currency for exports with a 52% share. It was ahead of the US dollar with 32%, EU currencies other than the euro with 3% and other currencies with 14%.
19 out of 27 EU countries used mostly euros to export goods outside the bloc in 2023. The highest share was recorded in Slovenia (90 per cent), Croatia (82 per cent), and Latvia (78 per cent).
In 6 EU countries, the US dollar was the most used currency for exports. Among them, shares above 50 per cent were recorded in Cyprus (76 per cent), Ireland (65 per cent), and Greece (54 per cent).
Currency share
The share of EU currencies other than the euro was particularly high in Sweden and Denmark: 50 per cent and 28 per cent respectively, primarily due to the use of their own national currencies. The US dollar was the most used currency for imports in 2023 with a share of 50%, followed by the euro with 41%. EU currencies other than the euro accounted for 1% and other currencies for 7%.
In 2023, the US dollar was the most used currency for importing goods outside the EU in 16 out of 27 EU countries. The share of US dollars in non-EU imports was highest in Finland (67 per cent), Greece, Poland, and Lithuania (all with a share of 64 per cent).
In the remaining 11 EU countries, the euro was the most frequently used currency for imports, with the highest shares observed in Slovenia (77 per cent), Croatia (70 per cent), and Slovakia (60 per cent). At the same time, EU currencies other than the euro reached double digits in the Czech Republic (24%), and Denmark (13%).
