Why Did These 10 Coins Lose So Much Value in 2025

A friend traveling through Lebanon sent me a photo that I couldn’t get out of my head: he was holding a stack of bills that looked like it came straight out of a board game. More than 50,000 Lebanese pounds in his hands. The real value? About R$ 3.00. This image made me reflect on something we rarely think about: while we complain about the dollar at R$ 5.44 here in Brazil, entire populations live with currencies that simply cannot maintain their value over time. The Brazilian real reached 2024 as the worst currency in the world among the main ones, depreciating by 21.52%, but even that pales in comparison to what you’ll see in this 2025 ranking.

The Pillars of Devaluation: Behind Weak Currencies

Before listing the least valued currencies in the world, it’s important to understand why some collapse while others resist. It’s not coincidence; it’s broken economic architecture.

Galloping inflation: In Brazil, 5% annual inflation worries us. Now imagine countries where prices double monthly. This is hyperinflation — the phenomenon that devours entire economies and turns salaries into crumbs.

Permanent political chaos: Coups, internal conflicts, unstable governance. When there is no legal security, capital flees and the currency becomes just colored paper, devoid of any real value.

International economic isolation: Sanctions, trade barriers, exclusion from the global financial system. An isolated country has its currency reduced to a museum piece.

Empty reserves: Without dollars or gold in central banks, there’s nothing to defend the currency when it plummets. It’s like being out of ammunition in a currency battle.

Capital exodus: When citizens prefer to store foreign currencies under the mattress instead of their own, you know everything has collapsed. Trust has turned to dust.

Every weak currency hides a fragile economy. And it is in this scenario that the following ten currencies find their place.

The 10 Least Valued Currencies in the World in 2025

1. Lebanese Pound (LBP) — Absolute Collapse

Quote: 1 million LBP = R$ 61.00

The Lebanese Pound is the ultimate symbol of contemporary monetary collapse. Officially, there should be 1,507.5 pounds per dollar. In practice, since 2020, this rate exists only on paper. In the real market, you need more than 90,000 pounds for one dollar.

Banks limit withdrawals. Shops refuse the local currency. In Beirut, ride-hail drivers demand payment in dollars — the national currency no longer has credibility. It is the worst case of de-monetization of a weak currency in operation.

2. Iranian Rial (IRR) — Sanctions and Hyperinflation

Quote: 1 Brazilian real = 7,751.94 Iranian rials

American sanctions turned the rial into a discardable currency. With just R$ 100, you become a “millionaire” in Iranian rials. The government tries to control the exchange rate, but the street reality is different — multiple parallel rates coexist.

Young Iranians have migrated en masse to cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin and Ethereum have become more reliable stores of value than the state currency. For those needing to protect savings, they have become the real alternative.

3. Vietnamese Dong (VND) — Historic Weakness in a Growing Economy

Quote: About 25,000 VND per dollar

Vietnam is dynamically growing economically, but its dong remains historically weak due to monetary policy decisions. Withdrawing 1 million dong from an ATM looks like a scene from a heist movie — you leave with a bundle that impresses, but is worth almost nothing.

For tourists, it’s perfect: US$ 50 makes you feel like a millionaire. For Vietnamese, it means imports become more expensive and international purchasing power diminishes.

4. Laotian Kip (LAK) — Small Economy in Isolation

Quote: About 21,000 LAK per dollar

Laos suffers from a reduced economy, high dependence on imports, and endemic inflation. The kip is so weak that at the border with Thailand, merchants prefer to accept Thai baht. The least valued currency in certain regional contexts.

5. Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) — Economic Strength, Weak Currency

Quote: About 15,500 IDR per dollar

An interesting paradox: Indonesia is Southeast Asia’s largest economy, but its rupiah has never strengthened since 1998. It is historically weak. For Brazilian tourists, Bali offers absurd luxury — with R$ 200 daily, you live like an aristocrat.

6. Uzbek Sum (UZS) — Slow Reforms in a Closed Economy

Quote: About 12,800 UZS per dollar

Uzbekistan has implemented economic reforms in recent years, but the sum still bears the weight of decades of isolation and centrally planned economy. Foreign investments are increasing, but the currency remains devalued.

7. Guinean Franc (GNF) — Natural Resources, Fragile Politics

Quote: About 8,600 GNF per dollar

Guinea has abundant gold and bauxite, but it’s a classic case: resource wealth, currency weakness. Political instability and entrenched corruption prevent mineral wealth from converting into a strong, reliable currency.

8. Paraguayan Guarani (PYG) — Neighbor with a Historically Weak Currency

Quote: About 7.42 PYG per real

Our Paraguayan neighbor maintains a relatively balanced economy, but the guarani is traditionally weak. The consequence for us: Ciudad del Este remains a paradise for cheap shopping for Brazilian consumers.

9. Malagasy Ariary (MGA) — Poverty Reflected in Currency

Quote: About 4,500 MGA per dollar

Madagascar is among the poorest nations on the planet, and its ariary reflects this brutal reality. Imports become prohibitively expensive. The population’s international purchasing power is practically zero.

10. Burundian Franc (BIF) — Extreme Political Instability

Quote: About 550.06 BIF per real

Closing the ranking, a currency so weakened that significant transactions require carrying bags of money. Burundi’s chronic political instability manifests directly in the franc, making it virtually useless for any modern economic perspective.

What These Numbers Really Mean

These least valued currencies in the world are not just financial curiosities — they are living lessons on how political economy, institutional trust, and geopolitical stability determine a currency’s fate.

For Brazilian investors, the takeaways are clear:

Weak currencies may seem like opportunities, but hide abysses. Countries with extreme devaluations face deep crises that go beyond exchange rates.

Tourism and consumption offer real advantages. Destinations with depreciated currencies can be financially advantageous for those arriving with strong foreign exchange.

Macroeconomics is not an abstract theory. Watching how inflation, corruption, and instability destroy currencies in real time is an accelerated master’s in international finance.

Tracking these dynamics helps understand why trust, institutional stability, and solid governance are the foundations of any strong currency. Weak currencies are symptoms of sick economies — and understanding this connection is essential for making investment decisions in a world where borders no longer protect anyone.