Currency shares of banks' cross-border lending. 4 series: U.S. dollar, Euro, Yen, Sterling. Latest, 2026 Q1: U.S. dollar 45.77%; Euro 32.06%; Yen 4.75%; Sterling 4.47%.
Loans and debt securities that banks hold on borrowers in other countries, by the currency they are denominated in. The euro line includes its legacy currencies before 1999. About a twentieth of claims are not allocated to any currency.
See also: Laurence Wilse-Samson, "Global Finance: A Money View", chapter 7, International Banking
Classroom exerciseCompute the change in the dollar share from the first quarter of 2008 to the last quarter of 2009. Did banks retreat from dollar lending during the crisis, or did the share hold? Connect your answer to the dollar funding shortage the chapter describes. Teach page
Cite asBalance of Power, "Currency shares of banks' cross-border lending", data through 2026 Q1. Source: BIS locational banking statistics, cross-border claims of banks in all reporting countries on all counterparties (BIS data portal, WS_LBS_D_PUB); Balance of Power calculations.
| Date | U.S. dollar | Euro | Yen | Sterling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Q2 | 46.92 | 30.46 | 5.15 | 4.40 |
| 2024 Q3 | 45.13 | 31.23 | 5.72 | 4.73 |
| 2024 Q4 | 47.42 | 30.31 | 5.21 | 4.51 |
| 2025 Q1 | 46.65 | 30.88 | 5.31 | 4.58 |
| 2025 Q2 | 44.85 | 32.70 | 5.18 | 4.63 |
| 2025 Q3 | 45.35 | 32.57 | 4.96 | 4.49 |
| 2025 Q4 | 45.33 | 32.47 | 4.90 | 4.59 |
| 2026 Q1 | 45.77 | 32.06 | 4.75 | 4.47 |
With: Currency shares of international bonds issued in a foreign currency
| Column | Source | Series key | Status | Data through |
|---|---|---|---|---|
usd_v | bis | WS_LBS_D_PUB/Q.S.C.A.USD.A.5J.A.5A.A.5J.N | live | 2026 Q1 |
eur_v | bis | WS_LBS_D_PUB/Q.S.C.A.EUR.A.5J.A.5A.A.5J.N | live | 2026 Q1 |
jpy_v | bis | WS_LBS_D_PUB/Q.S.C.A.JPY.A.5J.A.5A.A.5J.N | live | 2026 Q1 |
gbp_v | bis | WS_LBS_D_PUB/Q.S.C.A.GBP.A.5J.A.5A.A.5J.N | live | 2026 Q1 |
total_v | bis | WS_LBS_D_PUB/Q.S.C.A.TO1.A.5J.A.5A.A.5J.N | live | 2026 Q1 |