Economy
A Look at Unstable Economies: What are the Weakest Currencies in 2025?
While people are mostly turning their heads at the most powerful currencies worldwide, it is always a good idea to glance at the weakest, to learn from their stories and mistakes. Every country worldwide wants to achieve economic stability, as this shows strength. Still, this objective has become challenging as we are dealing with a lot of problems worldwide, including political issues, inflation, and economic concerns.
Weak currencies have low buying power, and at the moment, the weakest currency in the world is the Lebanese pound. The Iranian Rial, the Laotian Kip, the Uzbekistani Som, the Syrian Pound, the Guinean Franc, and the Paraguayan Guarani follow this currency.
In this article, we will analyze the factors that can impact a currency’s strength and delve into the world’s weakest currencies. Keep reading to learn more.
What are the factors that impact the strength of fiat money?
Economic factors
Economic factors are among the most important aspects that can tell whether a currency is strong or weak. Ideally, a country should have a low inflation rate so that it can have better purchasing power over other currencies. On the other hand, countries with high inflation will experience a depreciation in their currencies, as this will also lead to high interest rates, which will impact the strength of a currency.
So, a combination of inflation, interest rates, and exchange rates determines whether a currency is strong or weak.
Political factors
Politics will also impact the strength or weakness of a digital coin. Unfortunately, many countries around the world are experiencing political issues, such as corruption or government changes, that can lead to currency devaluation. When important political events occur, like wars, citizens will be more inclined to exchange their money for another currency, which can create even more devaluation.
The collapse of the Lebanese pound is the result of poor political and economic management. Other countries dealing with weak currencies are North Korea and Iran, which have received many international sanctions over the years. Because of this, they have not been as open to global financial markets.
External factors
External factors can also determine whether a currency remains strong or weakens. When a high number of investors are interested in a coin, they can make it even stronger. Additionally, countries own a foreign exchange reserve, representing the holdings of a country of liquid assets and foreign currencies, which nations can use when they want to stabilize their currency. Of course, the ones with a high reserve can better protect themselves from financial shocks. The ones with a high reserve, like Switzerland and China, have the means to prevent currency depreciation.
On the other hand, those with little reserves, like Sri Lanka and Pakistan, are more inclined to devalue their currency. Additionally, a nation’s resources, such as gas, oil, gold, or agricultural goods, can also impact the value of a currency. In this regard, when the price of a commodity rises, a country can gain more revenue and strengthen the position of its currency. This also occurs in reverse.
What are the weakest currencies in the world?
Lebanese pound (LBP)
At the moment, the Lebanese pound is the weakest currency in the world. The fiat money of Lebanon has struggled to maintain a high position and has suffered significant depreciation. This is the result of massive economic challenges, political instability, hyperinflation, and crisis. The ones who have felt the disadvantages of this are the Lebanese, who now need to face the effects of currency devaluation. Corruption and the collapse of the banking sector are other reasons that have led to the devaluation of the currency.
Iranian Rial (IRR)
The second weakest currency title belongs to the Iranian rial, as a result of the heavy sanctions that were imposed on this country back in 2015. Then, the Iranian rial also depreciated because it went through new pressure due to the tensions in the Middle East. Because of the sanctions, Iran hasn’t been able to participate that much in international trade, and this is also accompanied by political instability and high inflation.
Laotian Kip (LAK)
The Laotian Kip was also a weak currency in 2015. It is in its current state because of many factors, among the most obvious ones being high inflation, foreign debt, and economic pressures. Trade imbalances, lack of industrialization, and limited foreign investment are other reasons for this.
Uzbekistani Som (UZS)
Uzbekistan has important gas and oil reserves, which is why some might say that this country has everything it needs for a high-value currency. However, this doesn’t apply to Uzbekistan, which has struggled to maintain a high currency value. Unfortunately, Uzbekistan didn’t recover from the Soviet era, and this can be seen in the high inflation and corruption.
Syrian Pound (SYP)
The Syrian pound has become a weak currency because of economic sanctions and the civil war, which has affected this country’s currency. Investors are not interested in investing in this currency, and residents are very inclined to move their money into other currencies to escape inflation.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, many countries around the world have unstable economies, which greatly impact currency devaluation. Unstable countries are synonymous with high inflation, which decreases a coin’s purchasing power. Unfortunately, not many countries recover from unstable economies, as this can create a vicious cycle that, in the end, will impact currency value.
Investors are less likely to risk putting their money in unstable economies, where countries are dealing with corruption and high inflation. The political instability can lead to even more losses in the value of a currency, and this has been seen in numerous examples over the years.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The deadline for filing of employers’ annual tax returns in Lagos State has been extended by one week from February 1 to 7, 2026.
This information was revealed in a statement signed by the Head of Corporate Communications of the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS), Mrs Monsurat Amasa-Oyelude.
In the statement issued over the weekend, the chairman of the tax collecting organisation, Mr Ayodele Subair, explained that the statutory deadline for filing of employers’ annual tax returns is January 31, every year, noting that the extension is intended to provide employers with additional time to complete and submit accurate tax returns.
According to him, employers must give priority to the timely filing of their annual returns, noting that compliance should be embedded as a routine business practice.
He also reiterated that electronic filing through the LIRS eTax platform remains the only approved method for submitting annual returns, as manual filings have been completely phased out. Employers are therefore required to file their returns exclusively through the LIRS eTax portal: https://etax.lirs.net.
Describing the platform as secure, user-friendly, and accessible 24/7, Mr Subair advised employers to ensure that the Tax ID (Tax Identification Number) of all employees is correctly captured in their submissions.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The chief executive of Airtel Africa Plc, Mr Sunil Kumar Taldar, has disclosed that the company is still on track to list its mobile money business, Airtel Money, before the end of June 2026.
Recall that Business Post reported in March 2024 that the mobile network operator was considering selling the shares of Airtel Money to the public through the IPO vehicle in a transaction expected to raise about $4 billion.
The firm had been in talks with possible advisors for a planned listing of the shares from the initial public offer on a stock exchange with some options including London, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), or Europe.
However, so far no final decisions have been made regarding the timing, location, or scale of the IPO.
In September 2025, the telco reportedly picked Citigroup Incorporated as advisors for the planned IPO which will see Airtel Money become a standalone entity before it can attain the prestige of trading on a stock exchange.
Mr Taldar, noted that metrics continued to show improvements ahead of the listing with its customer base hitting 52 million, compared to around 44.6 million users it had as of June 2025.
He added that the subsidiary processed over $210 billion in a year, according to the company’s nine-month financial results released on Friday.
“Our push to enhance financial inclusion across the continent continues to gain momentum with our Mobile Money customer base expanding to 52 million, surpassing the 50 million milestone. Annualised total processed value of over $210 billion in Q3’26 underscores the depth of our merchants, agents, and partner ecosystem and remains a key player in driving improved access to financial services across Africa.
“We remain on track for the listing of Airtel Money in the first half of 2026,” Mr Taldar said.
Estimating Airtel Money at $4 billion is higher than its valuation of $2.65 billion in 2021. In 2021, Airtel Money received significant investments, including $200 million from TPG Incorporated at a valuation of $2.65 billion and $100 million from Mastercard. Later that same year, an affiliate of Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund also acquired an undisclosed stake in the unit.
The mobile money sector in Africa is expanding rapidly, driven by a young population increasingly adopting technology for financial services, making the continent a key market for fintech companies.
By Dipo Olowookere
A cryptocurrency investor and owner of Polyfarm, Mr Bamu Gift Wandji, is currently cooling off in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He was handed over to the anti-money laundering agency by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on Friday, January 30, 2026, after his arrest on Monday, January 12, 2026.
A statement from the EFCC yesterday disclosed that the suspect was apprehended by the NSCDC in Gwagwalada, Abuja for running an investment scheme without the authorisation of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which is the apex capital market regulator in Nigeria.
It was claimed that Mr Wandji created a fraudulent crypto investment platform called Polyfarm, where he allegedly lured innocent Nigerians to invest in Polygon, a crypto token that attracts high returns.
Investigation further revealed that he also deceived the public that his project, Polyfarm, has its native token called “polyfarm coin” which he sold to the public.
In his bid to promote the scheme, the suspect posted about this on social media platforms, including WhatsApp, X (formally Twitter) and Telegram. He also conducted seminars in some major cities in Nigeria including Kaduna, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja where he described the scheme as a life-changing programme.
Further investigation revealed that in October, 2025, subscribers who could not access their funds were informed by the suspect that the site was attacked by Lazarus group, a cyber attacking group linked to North Korea.
Further investigations showed that Polyfarm is not registered and not licensed with SEC to carry out crypto transactions in Nigeria. Also, no investment happened with subscribers’ funds and that the suspect used funds paid by subscribers to pay others in the name of profit.
Investigation also revealed that native coin, polyfarm coin was never listed on coin market cap and that the suspect sold worthless coins to the general public.
Contrary to the claim of the suspect that his platform was attacked, EFCC’s investigations revealed that the platform was never attacked or hacked by anyone and that the suspect withdrew investors’ funds and utilized the same for his personal gains.
The EFCC, in the statement, disclosed that Mr Wandji would be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.
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