Why Do Exchange Rates Change Every Day?
Check a rate twice in one day and it’ll likely have moved. Exchange rates never sit still — because a currency’s price, like any price, is set by constant buying and selling.
A market that never sleeps
Currencies trade 24 hours a day across the globe. Every trade, by a bank, company or traveller, nudges supply and demand. Multiply that by trillions of dollars a day and the price is always shifting.
News moves money
Interest-rate decisions, inflation figures, jobs data, elections and crises all change expectations about a currency — and traders react in seconds. A surprise data release can move a rate noticeably within minutes.
Expectations, not just facts
Markets move on what people expect to happen, then adjust when reality differs. That’s why a rate can jump even when today’s news seems dull — the expectation shifted. See the full list of drivers in how exchange rates work.
What it means for you
Small daily moves rarely matter for a coffee abroad, but on big sums they add up. Check the current mid-market rate on our converter before you exchange, and don’t agonise over timing — see is now a good time to exchange?