The world's weakest currency - £1 is worth a whopping 120,900

A small country on the Mediterranean has the weakest currency in the world, with £1 equivalent to 120,900 in their currency. One Lebanese pound buys £0.0000083. This means that £1 is worth 120,900.70 Lebanese pounds.

The country has a service-based economy, with the major sectors being metal products, banking, agriculture, chemicals, and transport equipment. The main growth sectors include banking and tourism. Lebanon also exports precious stones, metals, chemical products and food and drinks. The Lebanese pound (or lira) was formerly divided into 100 piastres, but because of high inflation during the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990), subunits were axed.

The currency has been under pressure for several years due to a depressed economy, high inflation and unemployment, a banking crisis and political unrest.

The pound's depreciation can be traced back to the economy's dependence on imports. In 2018, Lebanon imported US$20 bn worth of goods and exported goods worth only US$3 bn.

The financial crisis had various effects on Lebanon and its people, including the introduction of extra official rates for specific transactions, hyperinflation, a sharp decline in the gross domestic product, which resulted in business shutdowns, and a high rate of unemployment.

Additionally, Lebanon faced the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which was then followed by a devastating explosion in August 2020. It resulted in the loss of hundreds of lives and the destruction of the capital city, Beirut.

In February 2023, Lebanon lowered its official exchange rate by 90% for the first time in 25 years. Despite this significant change, the local currency remains considerably undervalued compared to its market value.

Other weak currencies include the Iranian rial, the Vietnamese dong, the Laotian kip, the Indonesian rupiah, and the Uzbekistani som, based on data from Open Exchange and correct as of May 8, 2025.