SDR

Base weightings
in the 1986
basket

Number of
national
currency units
in the SDR
basket
as from 1986
until end-1990

Base weightings
in the 1996
basket

Number of
national
currency units
in the SDR
basket
as from
January 1, 1996

Actual weights
as of
December 31,
1997¹⁾

Percentage

Percentage

Percentage

US dollars

42

0.452

39

0.582

43

D-marks

19

0.527

21

0.446

18

Japanese yen

15

33.4

18

27.2

16

French francs

12

1.02

11

0.813

10

Pounds sterling

12

0.0893

11

0.105

13

ECU

Number of
national
currency
units²⁾

Actual weights
as of December
31, 1997

Percentage

D-marks

0.6242

31.6

French francs

1.332

20.1

Pounds sterling

0.08784

13.2

Italian lire

151.8

7.8

Dutch guilders

0.2198

9.9

Belgian francs

3.301

8.1

Lux. francs

0.130

0.3

Spanish pesetas

6.885

4.1

Danish kroner

0.1976

2.6

Irish pounds

0.008552

1.1

Greek drachmas

1.440

0.5

Portuguese escudos

1.393

0.7

100

Note: The SDR basket is composed of a fixed number of units of the five currencies included. The composition, which is changed every five years, in principle reflects the importance of the respective currencies in international trade, etc. On revision of the composition, the weight (base weight) of the individual currency is calculated on the basis of the relevant country's exports of goods and services, as well as the use of the currency in the global official reserves. From the base weights the number of currency units is fixed so that the SDR basket's value calculated on the basis of the market rates does not change on the revision.
¹⁾ As a consequence of continuous fluctuation in exchange rates the market values of the individual currency shares, and thereby the currencies' actual weight in the basket, are changed.
²⁾ From September 21, 1989. The composition of the ECU basket was fixed irrevocably on the entry into force of the Maas-tricht Treaty.