20 Weakest Currencies of Asia in 2025 — who’s losing value and why

In 2025 many Asian currencies remained significantly weaker compared with the U.S. dollar than they were a decade ago. “Weakness” here is measured by how many local currency units equal one U.S. dollar — the more local units per USD, the “weaker” the currency in numeric terms. Several causes explain the poor performance: years of inflation, political instability, loss of foreign reserves, subsidy shocks, heavy external debt, or structural economic problems. Below we list the 20 weakest Asian currencies in 2025, explain short reasons for each, and give context for what businesses and travelers should expect.

Note on method: rankings are based on commonly reported mid-market exchange rates during 2025 (late-year averages where possible) and are meant to reflect purchasing power and numeric weakness rather than an absolute judgment of a country’s economy. For the largest outliers (e.g., Iranian rial, Vietnamese dong, Indonesian rupiah, Lao kip, Syrian pound) I consulted public exchange-rate series from reputable currency sites for 2025 to ensure accuracy.

1. Iranian rial (IRR)

The Iranian rial remains the most extreme numeric outlier in Asia: it takes many hundreds of thousands to over a million rials to buy one U.S. dollar on prevailing remittance or open-market rates in 2025. Sanctions, restricted access to global finance, and high inflation have kept the rial at extremely low nominal value for years. Businesses and individuals working with Iran must use careful local or informal market checks for rates because official and market rates can diverge.

2. Vietnamese dong (VND)

Vietnam’s dong is another currency with a very low value per single unit — tens of thousands of dong equal one dollar. Despite strong export growth and foreign investment, the dong’s numeric value remains low because of a long history of price levels denominated in large units and Vietnam’s managed exchange-rate policy. For everyday commerce most prices are already quoted in thousands, and electronic payments hide the impression of “big numbers.”

3. Indonesian rupiah (IDR)

The rupiah trades at many thousands of units per USD in 2025. Indonesia’s currency has stabilized relative to volatile episodes but still remains among Asia’s numerically weakest — driven by a large money supply and historic inflation rates that set price levels at large numeric values. For exporters the rupiah’s low unit value can be helpful for price competitiveness but complicates digit systems that weren’t built for large integer values.

4. Laotian kip (LAK)

Laos’s kip is another currency with many thousands of units per dollar. The Laotian economy is small, import-dependent, and vulnerable to external shocks; weak government finances and limited foreign reserves push the kip to low numeric value. Travelers to Laos often carry dollars for major expenses because USD remains widely accepted.

5. Syrian pound (SYP)

Years of conflict and sanctions have left Syria with a severely weakened currency; the Syrian pound trades at a very low value when compared to the dollar. Multiple exchange rates (official vs. black-market) and the localized nature of economic activity make rates volatile. Humanitarian and business transactions require extra due diligence.

6. Uzbekistani som (UZS)

The som is numerically weak versus the dollar (thousands of som per USD). Uzbekistan has undertaken market liberalization in recent years, but the som’s numeric value is still low because of a history of controlled exchange regimes and the need to re-build confidence in financial markets.

7. Mongolian tugrik (MNT)

Mongolia’s tugrik trades in the thousands per dollar, a result of a small, commodity-driven economy (mining exposure) and currency swings when commodity prices move. Monetary policy responses have aimed to stabilize the tugrik but numeric weakness remains.

8. Cambodian riel (KHR)

The riel is used alongside the U.S. dollar in Cambodia for larger transactions; its numeric value is small (many riels per USD) and the economy’s partial dollarization keeps demand for USD firm. Locally, people price in dollars for major purchases and use riel for change.

9. Bangladeshi taka (BDT)

Although Bangladesh posts strong growth, the taka’s numeric value per USD remains relatively low compared with advanced economies. External trade balances, remittances, and reserve buffers all influence the taka’s performance.

10. Pakistani rupee (PKR)

Political instability, fiscal pressures, and periodic balance-of-payments stress have pushed the rupee lower over recent years; by 2025 it still trades at several hundred rupees per USD. Importers and foreign-currency borrowers monitor Pakistan’s policy moves closely.

11. Sri Lankan rupee (LKR)

Sri Lanka emerged from a deep crisis earlier in the decade and by 2025 the rupee’s nominal value was still low relative to the USD compared with pre-crisis levels. Recovery programs and IMF support helped stabilize the currency but numeric weakness remains a legacy of the crisis.

12. Nepalese rupee (NPR)

The Nepali rupee is weaker numerically than many South Asian peers; it is officially pegged to the Indian rupee with some fluctuation against the dollar. Remittances and tourism heavily influence the NPR.

13. Armenian dram (AMD)

The dram trades at a modest numeric value (a few hundred dram per USD). While not as extreme as the kip or dong, it ranks among Asia’s weaker currencies by units-per-USD thanks to structural constraints and trade dynamics.

14. Azerbaijani manat (AZN)

Historically the manat has been managed/pegged, and at times the official peg masks pressures; depending on policy moves or revaluations, countries with managed pegs can show the appearance of relative weakness when market forces are strong.

15. Tajikistani somoni (TJS)

The somoni has a relatively low numeric USD parity (several somoni per dollar), but Tajikistan’s remittance-dependent economy keeps the currency volatile and vulnerable to external shocks.

16. Kyrgyzstani som (KGS)

Kyrgyzstan’s som trades at modest numeric levels vs USD; small economy issues and regional pressures can weigh on it episodically.

17. Afghan afghani (AFN) — caveat

The afghani’s situation is complicated by political developments and the nature of Afghanistan’s economy. Exchange rates have experienced big swings and the currency is generally weak in numeric terms. Any commercial use requires careful, up-to-date checks.

18. Turkmenistani manat (TMT)

Turkmenistan manages its exchange environment tightly. Any official peg or dual-rate system can mask market weakness; the manat numerically trades at values that make it “weaker” in unit terms compared with many developed-market currencies.

19. Kazakhstani tenge (KZT)

The tenge may trade at hundreds of tenge to the dollar. Commodity dependence (oil) and external factors make the tenge vulnerable to swings that influence its numeric standing.

20. Turkish lira (TRY)

While the lira is not the lowest numerically compared with dong, rupiah or rial, it has been one of Asia’s most debased currencies in percentage terms over recent years — requiring many lira per dollar (dozens or more) and creating economic pain through inflation; for many readers, Turkey’s currency is a vivid example of “weakness” in practical terms.

Why numeric weakness matters 

• Prices appear “big.” When a currency trades in thousands per USD, everyday prices look large (e.g., 50,000) even if local purchasing power is normal for wages and prices. This matters for UX and e-commerce formatting.

• IT and accounting: Systems that assume 2–4 digits for prices can break; businesses need proper data types and display formatting.

• Inflation risk: Currencies that trade at very low unit values often reflect a long-term inflation history; that’s important for savings and wage negotiations.

• Dollarization and dual pricing: In some countries (e.g., Cambodia, parts of Lebanon previously, some transactions in Iran or Syria), USD is used alongside the local currency — useful for tourists but a policy risk for domestic authorities.

How to use this list

• For travelers: Check the latest mid-market rate on the day you travel. Large numeric currencies often have local cash and USD both accepted; carry a mix.

• For businesses & developers: Store amounts in smallest currency units in databases (avoid floats), and format display logic to show thousands separators and local currency symbols. Beware of rounding errors with payment processors.

• For content creators & SEOs: When you write about “weak currencies,” clarify your metric (units per USD vs. depreciation rate) and provide a date stamped to 2025 to avoid confusion.

Final notes and data sources

This article ranks the numeric weakness of currencies (units per USD) in Asia during 2025. For the most salt-of-the-earth accuracy on any single currency rate I used live exchange-rate series from reliable converters and market trackers for 2025 reference values — for example the Iranian rial, Vietnamese dong, Indonesian rupiah, Laotian kip and Syrian pound (sources used to check 2025 mid-year / late-year rates). If you want, I can convert this article into a 1,500-word Ukrainian, Latvian, French or Russian SEO post (or tailor the tone for a blog vs. a news site), and add precise numeric exchange rates for each currency with daily citations.