What is Dollarization?

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Dollarization

Dollarization is the process by which a country abandons its own currency and officially adopts a foreign currency (usually the U.S. dollar) as legal tender for all transactions. In simple terms, residents start using a stable foreign currency instead of the domestic currency for everyday money functions.

With full dollarization, the country no longer has an independent monetary policy. The national central bank, if it continues to exist at all, cannot print money or set interest rates. This is much more rigid than a fixed exchange rate or currency board system. For example, under a currency board, a local currency exists and is pegged to a foreign currency at a fixed rate. Dollarization is seen as a commitment device: it “ties the hands” of policymakers even more firmly than a peg, enhancing credibility that inflation will stay low.

Dollarization at a Glance

💵 Full Adoption Foreign currency replaces domestic money completely

🚫 No Central Bank Control Cannot print money or set interest rates independently

🔒 Credibility Lock Stronger commitment than pegs or currency boards

Dollarization vs. Other Systems

System
Local Currency?
Monetary Policy?
Commitment Level
💵Full Dollarization
❌ No
❌ None
🔴🔴🔴 Strongest
🏦 Currency Board
✅ Yes (pegged)
⚠️ Very Limited
🟡🟡 Strong
📊 Fixed Exchange Rate
✅ Yes (fixed rate)
⚠️ Limited
🟢 Moderate
🌊 Floating Currency
✅ Yes (market rate)
✅ Full Control
⚪ Flexible

Dollarization vs. Currency Board vs. Central Bank

Feature
Official Dollarization
Currency Board
Central Bank
Domestic currency
None (foreign currency only)
Exists, backed 100% by anchor currency
Exists, managed by central bank
Exchange rate
N/A (same as anchor currency)
Fixed
Floating or pegged
Monetary policy
None
Rule-based
Discretionary
Inflation risk
Very low
Very low
Variable
Seigniorage
Lost to issuing country
Reduced
Retained
Examples
Panama, Ecuador, El Salvador, Montenegro
Hong Kong, Bulgaria, Bosnia
Most countries

Historical Context

🇵🇦 Panama: The World's Longest Dollarized Economy — Panama has used the U.S. dollar as its currency since 1904 — making it the longest-running dollarized regime in the world. In over 120 years of dollarization, Panama has never experienced hyperinflation.

As of 2024, 37 countries use a foreign currency as their primary or exclusive means of exchange. These include:

  • Panama (USD, since 1904)
  • Ecuador (USD, since 2000)
  • El Salvador (USD, since 2001)
  • Montenegro (EUR, since 2002)
  • Kosovo (EUR, since 2002)
  • Zimbabwe (de facto multicurrency, USD/ZAR/other)
  • British territories (USD, GBP, AUD as appropriate)

These range from full official dollarization (such as Ecuador and El Salvador, where the domestic currency was formally retired) to informal or partial dollarization (where citizens voluntarily hold foreign currency alongside a domestic one).

Hanke on Dollarization

"Dollarization is not a sign of weakness — it is a sign of wisdom. When a country cannot manage its own currency, the best solution is to use one that has already earned the world's trust."
— Professor Steve H. Hanke

Recent Publications (2025–2026)

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