Birr, South Sudan pound named Africa’s worst-performing currencies

The Ethiopian birr (left) and South Sudanese pound are the worst-performing currencies in Africa in 2025, according to World Bank report (Credit: Shutterstock)

The World Bank has flagged the Ethiopian birr and South Sudanese pound (SSP) as the worst-performing currencies in Africa in 2025, reflecting the political and macroeconomic headwinds facing the two economies.

In its latest Economic Update on Africa (April 2026), the bank said the birr and SSP lost 18 percent and 15 percent of their value year-on-year, respectively. It linked the decline to the disruption of fuel exports in Juba and a widening premium in the parallel foreign exchange market in Addis Ababa.

“In South Sudan, the depreciation was driven primarily by war-related disruptions to the oil pipeline running through Sudan, which severely constrained foreign exchange inflows,” the bank said. “With limited forex available to pay for imports, the cost of goods surged, and inflation remained around triple-digit levels from mid-2024 to mid-2025. Structural challenges – including mismanagement of oil revenues, fiscal indiscipline, and heightened foreign-currency speculation – further exacerbated downward pressure on the currency.”

Source: https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/business-tech/birr-south-sudan-pound-africa-worst-performing-currencies-5418146