Euro to British Pound exchange rate history 1999 to 2026: two central banks and Brexit
One Euro bought 0.6587 GBP in 1999 and 0.8612 GBP in 2026. Two central banks and Brexit. The series covers 28 years of annual data.
- 2026 avg
- 0.8612
- year to date
- Highest avg
- 0.8906
- 2009
- Lowest avg
- 0.6090
- 2000
- Traded range
- 0.5698 to 0.9785
- low 2000, high 2008
Source: Federal Reserve H.10 cross rate (DEXUSEU ÷ DEXUSUK). Latest daily observation 2026-10-30.
Annual averages of daily observations.
EUR/GBP 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.
- 2016 2016-06-23
United Kingdom votes to leave the European Union
The Brexit referendum result triggered a sharp fall in sterling, which touched a 31-year low against the dollar in the following days.
- 2022 2022-09-23
UK mini-budget triggers a gilt and sterling sell-off
The UK government's unfunded tax and spending package triggered a sharp sell-off in gilts, forced pension fund intervention and pushed sterling near a record low against the dollar.
EUR/GBP since 1999
Euro to British Pound averaged 0.6587 GBP in 1999 and 0.8568 GBP in 2025, 30.1% higher across 27 complete years.
The annual average has ranged from 0.6090 in 2000 to 0.8906 in 2009. On individual trading days the series reached 0.5698 and 0.9785, a ratio of 1.7 to 1.
ECB and Bank of England policy in EUR/GBP
EUR/GBP is a relative-policy pair. The European Central Bank sets the EUR rate and the Bank of England sets the GBP rate. The pair tends to track the expected path of both, not just the current level.
The pair tracks the relative stance of the European Central Bank and the Bank of England, plus the structural effects of Brexit. When one central bank tightens faster, the currency with the higher expected return usually strengthens, but the relationship is noisy because expectations move before decisions.
Because the two economies trade heavily with each other, the pair also reflects relative growth and inflation. Across 27 complete years the average moved +30.1%, with 13 up years and 13 down years.
What moves EUR/GBP
EUR: The euro is the shared currency of the euro area. It was introduced for accounting in 1999 and as cash in 2002.
GBP: Sterling is a free-floating currency with a long history of fixed parities before 1971 and a large financial services sector.
For EUR/GBP, the EUR leg responds to European Central Bank policy, euro area inflation, energy prices, while the GBP leg responds to Bank of England policy, UK inflation, Brexit and trade relations. The exchange rate is the market's attempt to balance the two sets of forces.
The five largest EUR/GBP moves
Ranked by absolute year-end change, the five largest moves were 2008 (+29.4%), 2016 (+16.1%), 2007 (+9.2%), 2003 (+8.4%), 2009 (-6.9%). The biggest was 2008, when the rate moved from 0.7359 to 0.9521, a change of 29.4%.
Across 27 complete years the pair rose in 13 and fell in 13. The average annual change was +1.6% with a standard deviation of 8.1 percentage points, which is one way to compare its volatility with other pairs.
EUR/GBP by decade
Grouped by decade, the annual average was 0.6587 in 1999 and 0.8622 in 2020-2026. The widest decade-to-decade change was +20.2% between 2000-2009 and 2010-2019, when the average moved from 0.6968 to 0.8377.
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/GBP data
This is a derived cross rate. Each day's EUR/GBP is calculated from the two US dollar legs in Federal Reserve H.10 cross rate (DEXUSEU ÷ DEXUSUK), 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/GBP 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 ÷ DEXUSUK). Figures are annual averages of daily observations.
EUR to GBP 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 | 0.6587 | 0.7124 | 0.6213 | 0.6235 | n/a |
| 2000 | 0.6090 | 0.6384 | 0.5698 | 0.6278 | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 0.6217 | 0.6419 | 0.5965 | 0.6120 | -2.5% |
| 2002 | 0.6288 | 0.6520 | 0.6083 | 0.6514 | +6.4% |
| 2003 | 0.6924 | 0.7227 | 0.6486 | 0.7060 | +8.4% |
| 2004 | 0.6785 | 0.7088 | 0.6565 | 0.7066 | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 0.6838 | 0.7071 | 0.6630 | 0.6890 | -2.5% |
| 2006 | 0.6817 | 0.7014 | 0.6683 | 0.6738 | -2.2% |
| 2007 | 0.6847 | 0.7385 | 0.6553 | 0.7359 | +9.2% |
| 2008 | 0.7972 | 0.9785 | 0.7410 | 0.9521 | +29.4% |
| 2009 | 0.8906 | 0.9605 | 0.8439 | 0.8865 | -6.9% |
| 2010 | 0.8581 | 0.9119 | 0.8081 | 0.8621 | -2.8% |
| 2011 | 0.8682 | 0.9039 | 0.8304 | 0.8350 | -3.1% |
| 2012 | 0.8111 | 0.8484 | 0.7771 | 0.8108 | -2.9% |
| 2013 | 0.8493 | 0.8754 | 0.8117 | 0.8314 | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 0.8064 | 0.8394 | 0.7768 | 0.7768 | -6.6% |
| 2015 | 0.7261 | 0.7866 | 0.6943 | 0.7364 | -5.2% |
| 2016 | 0.8194 | 0.9054 | 0.7326 | 0.8553 | +16.1% |
| 2017 | 0.8764 | 0.9295 | 0.8366 | 0.8886 | +3.9% |
| 2018 | 0.8845 | 0.9095 | 0.8632 | 0.8976 | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 0.8772 | 0.9289 | 0.8336 | 0.8461 | -5.7% |
| 2020 | 0.8895 | 0.9363 | 0.8308 | 0.8952 | +5.8% |
| 2021 | 0.8595 | 0.9051 | 0.8384 | 0.8384 | -6.3% |
| 2022 | 0.8523 | 0.8991 | 0.8258 | 0.8858 | +5.7% |
| 2023 | 0.8697 | 0.8966 | 0.8518 | 0.8681 | -2.0% |
| 2024 | 0.8466 | 0.8674 | 0.8233 | 0.8267 | -4.8% |
| 2025 | 0.8568 | 0.8830 | 0.8247 | 0.8728 | +5.6% |
| 2026 YTD | 0.8612 | 0.8786 | 0.8332 | 0.8332 | -4.5% |
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/GBP moves
The largest absolute year-end changes in the published series, using complete calendar years only.
- 2008 +29.4% 0.7359 to 0.9521
Year-end rate moved from 0.7359 to 0.9521, a change of 29.4%.
- 2016 +16.1% 0.7364 to 0.8553
Year-end rate moved from 0.7364 to 0.8553, a change of 16.1%.
- 2007 +9.2% 0.6738 to 0.7359
Year-end rate moved from 0.6738 to 0.7359, a change of 9.2%.
- 2003 +8.4% 0.6514 to 0.7060
Year-end rate moved from 0.6514 to 0.7060, a change of 8.4%.
- 2009 -6.9% 0.9521 to 0.8865
Year-end rate moved from 0.9521 to 0.8865, a change of 6.9%.
EUR/GBP 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 | 0.6587 | 0.7124 | 0.6213 | n/a |
| 2000–2009 | 0.6968 | 0.9785 | 0.5698 | +5.8% |
| 2010–2019 | 0.8377 | 0.9295 | 0.6943 | +20.2% |
| 2020–2026 | 0.8622 | 0.9363 | 0.8233 | +2.9% |
Average of the annual averages in each period. The first and last rows cover partial decades.
EUR/GBP history: common questions
What was the EUR/GBP rate in 1999?
One EUR averaged 0.6587 GBP in 1999, with a range of 0.6213 to 0.7124 and a year-end rate of 0.6235.
How is the EUR/GBP rate calculated?
This is a derived cross rate. Each day's EUR/GBP is calculated from the two US dollar legs in Federal Reserve H.10 cross rate (DEXUSEU ÷ DEXUSUK), joined on the same date.
What is the highest EUR/GBP rate on record?
The highest annual average was 0.8906 in 2009. The highest single observation was 0.9785 in 2008.
What is the lowest EUR/GBP rate on record?
The lowest annual average was 0.6090 in 2000. The lowest single observation was 0.5698 in 2000.
What was the biggest single-year move in EUR/GBP?
2008 was the largest, at +29.4%. The year-end rate moved from 0.7359 to 0.9521.
What is the EUR/GBP rate in 2026?
The 2026 average is 0.8612 GBP per EUR, based on the year to date. The latest complete year, 2025, averaged 0.8568.
Query any EUR/GBP rate since 1999
Point-in-time rates, full time series and period analysis over the same dataset that powers this page. 1,000 requests per month free, no credit card required.
- Exact rate for any date, with weekend and holiday carry-forward
- Daily, weekly, monthly and yearly aggregation
- Change, volatility, highs and lows for any window
curl https://api.currency-core.com/v1/convert \
-H 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_KEY' \
-G --data-urlencode 'from=EUR&to=GBP'curl https://api.currency-core.com/v1/convert \
-H 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_KEY' \
-G --data-urlencode 'from=EUR&to=GBP' \
--data-urlencode 'date=2008-06-15' 28 years of EUR/GBP.
One API call away.
Historical rates on Starter and above. Free tier includes the last 30 days. No credit card required.