Pound vs Euro since 2000
-18% × 17%
Updated July 2026 · BLS / FRED
Since 2000, Pound is down 18% against the dollar and Euro is up 17% against the dollar. Euro held up better. Neither earns interest held as cash — these are exchange-rate moves, not returns.
Base 100 since 2000
Why compare British Pound and Euro
Pound against euro is Europe's old currency rivalry, the island money that stayed outside the union versus the currency of the continental bloc, and people reach it when deciding which European cash to hold. Both are exchange rates held as cash, neither earns interest, so what is really at stake is which one held up better against the dollar. Because the pound and the euro share geography and economic cycles, they tend to move closely, and the gap opens in episodes when the United Kingdom and the continent take different paths, as in bouts of political turbulence. The durable pattern is one of proximity punctuated by divergence. This page shows which of the two held up better against the dollar when their roads parted.
Returns by window
| Window | British Pound | Euro |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 1% | -0% |
| 5 years | -3% | -3% |
| 10 years | 1% | 2% |
| since 2000 | -18% | 17% |
The price of return: risk
| Asset | Annual volatility | Worst drop |
|---|---|---|
| Pound | 9% | -46% |
| Euro | 9% | -38% |
$10,000 in each, since 2000
| Asset | Value today |
|---|---|
| Pound | $8,246 |
| Euro | $11,669 |
Frequently asked questions
Pound or Euro: which held up better?
Since 2000, Euro is ahead in dollar terms. But a currency held as cash earns no interest, so its figure is the move against the U.S. dollar, not a return.
Is a currency line a return?
No. Holding cash in any currency earns no interest by itself, so the line is only the exchange-rate move against the dollar. A real asset (gold, an index) carries a return — that contrast is the point of this page.
Does the bigger move mean the better holding?
Not on its own — yield and risk matter, and this is not investment advice. The page shows the dollar move and the largest drop; for cash, also weigh the interest you could earn elsewhere.
Keep exploring
Descriptive, educational content computed from official public data. Not investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results.