2025 Cross-Border Payment Settlement Currency Structure & Cost Comparison Across Major Markets
This infographic compares currency usage shares and average settlement costs in cross-border payments across five major markets: US, EU, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Africa.
Market Overview
Currency structure and costs of cross-border payment settlement vary by regional economic integration, foreign exchange controls, and financial infrastructure development. The following comparison is based on public data and industry estimates (2025) for five major markets.
US Market
- USD accounts for 89%, other currencies (EUR, GBP, etc.) only 11%
- Average settlement cost ~1.2% (including FX fees and wire charges)
EU Market
- EUR accounts for 82%, USD 10%, others 8%
- Average settlement cost ~0.8% (benefiting from SEPA and regional payment systems)
Southeast Asia Market
- USD still dominates at ~45%, local currencies (SGD, THB, IDR, etc.) total 40%, RMB ~15%
- Average settlement cost higher, ~2.5% (due to FX controls and correspondent bank fees)
Latin America Market
- USD accounts for 60%, local currencies (BRL, MXN, etc.) 35%, others 5%
- Average settlement cost ~3.0% (impacted by high inflation and exchange rate volatility)
Africa Market
- USD accounts for 55%, EUR 10%, local currencies (NGN, ZAR, etc.) 30%, RMB 5%
- Average settlement cost ~4.5% (due to liquidity shortages and multiple intermediary banks)
Key Insights
- USD still dominates global cross-border settlement, but regional currency usage is rising.
- Fintech (e.g., Stripe, PayPal) and central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilots may reduce costs in emerging markets.
- Chinese enterprises going global should monitor settlement currency composition and costs in target markets to optimize payment routing.
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