Pound to US dollar exchange rate

Source: Bank of England, series XUDLUSS. Daily, each London working day

Pound to US dollar exchange rate: every value, by year, with a CSV download →

What it measures

This is the number of US dollars that one pound buys, as recorded by the Bank of England each working day from rates in the London foreign exchange market. It is a mid-market spot rate, between the prices at which banks buy and sell currency in large amounts. The Bank states that these are not official rates and are no more authoritative than those of any commercial bank in the London market. Rates offered to travellers or for card payments include a margin and will be less favourable.

How to read it

A higher number means a stronger pound against the dollar: at 1.32, £100 is worth $132. Daily moves are often a fraction of a cent, so look at weeks or months to see a trend. A weaker pound tends to raise the sterling price of imports priced in dollars, such as oil and many commodities, which can feed into inflation. For the pound against a basket of currencies, use the Bank's sterling effective exchange rate index. Use a fixed date when quoting a rate, because a value "today" will have changed by the time it is read.

Background

The Bank's daily series starts on 2 January 1975, at $2.34. The highest rate in the series is $2.45 on 4 November 1980, and the lowest is $1.04 on 26 February 1985. Before the financial crisis the pound reached $2.11 on 8 November 2007, then fell to $1.44 by the end of 2008. After the September 2022 fiscal statement the rate dropped to $1.07 on 28 September 2022, its lowest that year. On 12 October 2026 it was $1.32.

What is the pound to dollar exchange rate today?

The figure at the top of this page is the Bank of England's latest daily spot rate. When this page was checked on 13 October 2026, it was $1.3220 per pound on 12 October 2026. Rates from banks and bureaux for buying currency will differ because they include a margin.

What was the lowest the pound has been against the dollar?

In the Bank of England's daily series, the lowest rate is $1.0420 on 26 February 1985. The lowest in recent years was $1.0745 on 28 September 2022.

Why is the pound stronger or weaker against the dollar?

Exchange rates move with expectations for interest rates, inflation and growth in each economy and with flows of money into and out of each currency. The Bank of England discusses movements in sterling in its Monetary Policy Report but does not target the exchange rate.

Where can I find historical pound to dollar rates?

The Bank of England database holds the daily rate back to 1975 as series XUDLUSS, plus monthly and annual averages. You can download it as a spreadsheet or CSV for any date range from the series page linked on this page.

Is the Bank of England rate the official exchange rate?

No. The Bank says its published rates are not official and are no more authoritative than those of any commercial bank in the London market. HMRC publishes its own monthly exchange rates for customs and VAT purposes.

Related questions

• How do I use the Bank of England statistical database?
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More on this source: Bank of England Statistical Interactive Database