Euro to Chinese Yuan exchange rate history 1999 to 2026: two trading blocs
One Euro bought 8.819 CNY in 1999 and 7.877 CNY in 2026. Two trading blocs. The series covers 28 years of annual data.
- 2026 avg
- 7.877
- year to date
- Highest avg
- 10.422
- 2007
- Lowest avg
- 6.971
- 2015
- Traded range
- 6.573 to 11.277
- low 2015, high 2004
Source: Federal Reserve H.10 cross rate (DEXUSEU ÷ DEXCHUS). Latest daily observation 2026-10-30.
Annual averages of daily observations.
EUR/CNY history: the years that moved the rate
Each event below is dated and tied to one of the currencies in this pair.
- 1999 1999-01-01
The euro is launched
Eleven European Union countries adopted the euro as an accounting currency, replacing the European Currency Unit at a ratio of one to one.
- 2005 2005-07-21
China revalues the yuan and ends the dollar peg
China revalued the yuan by 2.1 percent to 8.11 per dollar and moved to a managed float against a basket of currencies.
- 2015 2015-08-11
China guides the yuan lower
The People's Bank of China changed the daily fixing mechanism and allowed the yuan to depreciate sharply over several days, unsettling global markets.
EUR/CNY since 1999
Euro to Chinese Yuan averaged 8.819 CNY in 1999 and 8.123 CNY in 2025, 7.9% lower across 27 complete years.
The annual average has ranged from 6.971 in 2015 to 10.422 in 2007. On individual trading days the series reached 6.573 and 11.277, a ratio of 1.7 to 1.
Two trading blocs in EUR/CNY
EUR/CNY is a trade-weighted pair. The euro area and China are major trading partners, so the pair reflects both the managed yuan and European demand. That makes the exchange rate a transmission channel for demand, not just a financial price.
The European Central Bank and the People's Bank of China set policy, but trade flows, tourism, remittances and supply-chain links also matter. Because the yuan is managed against a basket, EUR/CNY often moves differently from EUR/USD.
The series moved -7.9% from 1999 to 2025. The traded range was 6.573 to 11.277, so the pair has been anything but a fixed conversion.
What moves EUR/CNY
EUR: The euro is the shared currency of the euro area. It was introduced for accounting in 1999 and as cash in 2002.
CNY: The yuan is managed by the People's Bank of China through a daily fixing and a trading band, with capital controls still in place.
For EUR/CNY, the EUR leg responds to European Central Bank policy, euro area inflation, energy prices, while the CNY leg responds to daily fixing and trading band, capital controls, trade and current account. The exchange rate is the market's attempt to balance the two sets of forces.
The five largest EUR/CNY moves
Ranked by absolute year-end change, the five largest moves were 2003 (+20.1%), 2002 (+17.8%), 2005 (-14.7%), 2008 (-10.8%), 2010 (-10.5%). The biggest was 2003, when the rate moved from 8.682 to 10.426, a change of 20.1%.
Across 27 complete years the pair rose in 15 and fell in 11. The average annual change was +0.3% with a standard deviation of 8.6 percentage points, which is one way to compare its volatility with other pairs.
EUR/CNY by decade
Grouped by decade, the annual average was 8.819 in 1999 and 7.718 in 2020-2026. The widest decade-to-decade change was -14.0% between 2000-2009 and 2010-2019, when the average moved from 9.294 to 7.993.
The final bucket, 2020-2026, is a partial decade and includes the year-to-date 2026 average. The table below shows every bucket with its high and low, so the short-run moves and the long-run level can be read together.
How to read the EUR/CNY data
This is a derived cross rate. Each day's EUR/CNY is calculated from the two US dollar legs in Federal Reserve H.10 cross rate (DEXUSEU ÷ DEXCHUS), joined on the same calendar date with up to seven days of holiday carry-forward. No figure on this page is estimated or interpolated.
EUR/CNY annual average, 1999 to 2026
Annual average with the full trading range for each year. average high–low range
Source: Federal Reserve H.10 cross rate (DEXUSEU ÷ DEXCHUS). Figures are annual averages of daily observations.
EUR to CNY exchange rate by year
Every year since 1999: annual average, the year high and low, the year-end rate, and the change on the previous year.
| Year | Average | High | Low | Year end | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 8.819 | 9.780 | 8.292 | 8.337 | n/a |
| 2000 | 7.642 | 8.557 | 6.846 | 7.771 | -6.8% |
| 2001 | 7.410 | 7.893 | 6.928 | 7.367 | -5.2% |
| 2002 | 7.825 | 8.682 | 7.113 | 8.682 | +17.8% |
| 2003 | 9.370 | 10.426 | 8.579 | 10.426 | +20.1% |
| 2004 | 10.295 | 11.277 | 9.768 | 11.205 | +7.5% |
| 2005 | 10.204 | 11.153 | 9.433 | 9.557 | -14.7% |
| 2006 | 10.013 | 10.433 | 9.538 | 10.299 | +7.8% |
| 2007 | 10.422 | 10.997 | 10.036 | 10.652 | +3.4% |
| 2008 | 10.235 | 11.189 | 8.528 | 9.496 | -10.8% |
| 2009 | 9.519 | 10.309 | 8.579 | 9.783 | +3.0% |
| 2010 | 8.976 | 9.923 | 8.171 | 8.758 | -10.5% |
| 2011 | 9.005 | 9.662 | 8.165 | 8.165 | -6.8% |
| 2012 | 8.112 | 8.478 | 7.702 | 8.215 | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 8.164 | 8.525 | 7.830 | 8.341 | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 8.194 | 8.681 | 7.508 | 7.508 | -10.0% |
| 2015 | 6.971 | 7.455 | 6.573 | 7.034 | -6.3% |
| 2016 | 7.349 | 7.533 | 7.006 | 7.326 | +4.2% |
| 2017 | 7.629 | 7.977 | 7.241 | 7.822 | +6.8% |
| 2018 | 7.802 | 8.085 | 7.411 | 7.877 | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 7.732 | 7.945 | 7.505 | 7.816 | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 7.871 | 8.263 | 7.553 | 7.980 | +2.1% |
| 2021 | 7.632 | 7.943 | 7.156 | 7.213 | -9.6% |
| 2022 | 7.076 | 7.486 | 6.770 | 7.379 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 7.659 | 8.090 | 7.239 | 7.854 | +6.4% |
| 2024 | 7.785 | 7.962 | 7.535 | 7.556 | -3.8% |
| 2025 | 8.123 | 8.447 | 7.443 | 8.207 | +8.6% |
| 2026 YTD | 7.877 | 8.331 | 7.426 | 7.428 | -9.5% |
1999–2026 · 27 complete calendar years. Annual figures are averages of available daily observations. 2026 is year to date: the average is based on 209 published trading days through 2026-10-30.
Five largest EUR/CNY moves
The largest absolute year-end changes in the published series, using complete calendar years only.
- 2003 +20.1% 8.682 to 10.426
Year-end rate moved from 8.682 to 10.426, a change of 20.1%.
- 2002 +17.8% 7.367 to 8.682
Year-end rate moved from 7.367 to 8.682, a change of 17.8%.
- 2005 -14.7% 11.205 to 9.557
Year-end rate moved from 11.205 to 9.557, a change of 14.7%.
- 2008 -10.8% 10.652 to 9.496
Year-end rate moved from 10.652 to 9.496, a change of 10.8%.
- 2010 -10.5% 9.783 to 8.758
Year-end rate moved from 9.783 to 8.758, a change of 10.5%.
EUR/CNY by decade
Annual averages grouped into decade buckets. The first and last buckets may cover fewer than ten years.
| Period | Average | High | Low | vs previous |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 8.819 | 9.780 | 8.292 | n/a |
| 2000–2009 | 9.293 | 11.277 | 6.846 | +5.4% |
| 2010–2019 | 7.993 | 9.923 | 6.573 | -14.0% |
| 2020–2026 | 7.718 | 8.447 | 6.770 | -3.5% |
Average of the annual averages in each period. The first and last rows cover partial decades.
EUR/CNY history: common questions
What was the EUR/CNY rate in 1999?
One EUR averaged 8.819 CNY in 1999, with a range of 8.292 to 9.780 and a year-end rate of 8.337.
What is the highest EUR/CNY rate on record?
The highest annual average was 10.422 in 2007. The highest single observation was 11.277 in 2004.
What was the biggest single-year move in EUR/CNY?
2003 was the largest, at +20.1%. The year-end rate moved from 8.682 to 10.426.
How volatile has EUR/CNY been?
Across 27 complete years the average annual change was +0.3% with a standard deviation of 8.6 percentage points. The largest drawdown was 37.2%, from 2004 to 2015.
What is the lowest EUR/CNY rate on record?
The lowest annual average was 6.971 in 2015. The lowest single observation was 6.573 in 2015.
What is the EUR/CNY rate in 2026?
The 2026 average is 7.877 CNY per EUR, based on the year to date. The latest complete year, 2025, averaged 8.123.
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