The term “eurozone” is used to describe the members of the European Union that use the euro as their national currency. This area is also called the euro area. As of December 2021, the eurozone is made up of 19 of 28 EU states. The remaining 9 member states use their own national currency. However, this may soon change as these member states will be required to adopt the euro in the future. Denmark and the United Kingdom are the only exceptions to this rule. The EU member states that are designated as the eurozone makes up a total area of over 2.7 million square kilometers. The population based on 2018 estimates tops 341 million people.
The 19 nations that are part of the eurozone are Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovkia, Slovenia, and Spain. There are a handful of countries that have adopted the euro but have formal agreements allowing them to issue their own coins. Those nations are Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, and the Vatican City. Two other nations have also adopted the euro but they are not part of the eurozone. Those nations are Montenegro and Kosovo.
Country | Eurozone | Pre Euro Currency |
---|---|---|
Austria | 1999 | schilling |
Belgium | 1999 | franc |
Croatia | 2023 | kuna |
Cyprus | 2008 | pound |
Estonia | 2011 | kroon |
Finland | 1999 | markka |
France | 1999 | franc |
Germany | 1999 | Mark |
Greece | 2001 | drachma |
Ireland | 1999 | pound |
Italy | 1999 | lira |
Latvia | 2014 | lats |
Lithuania | 2015 | litas |
Luxembourg | 1999 | franc |
Malta | 2008 | lira |
Netherlands | 1999 | guilder |
Portugal | 1999 | escudo |
Slovakia | 2009 | koruna |
Slovenia | 2007 | tolar |
Spain | 1999 | peseta |