Special Drawing Rights

Special Drawing Rights are an artificial currency unit that was created by the International Monetary Fund in 1969.

SDRs are defined in terms of a basket of major currencies used in international trade and finance. At present, the currencies in the basket are the Euro, the Pound sterling, the Japanese yen and the United States dollar. The amounts of each currency making up one SDR are chosen in accordance with the relative importance of the currency in international trade and finance. The determination of the currencies in the SDR and their amounts is made by the IMF Executive Board from time to time.

The value of one SDR in terms of United States dollars is determined daily by the IMF, based on the exchange rates of the currencies making up the basket, as quoted at noon at the London market. (If the London market is closed, New York market rates are used; if both markets are closed, European Central Bank reference rates are used.)

SDRs are used as a unit of account by the IMF and several other international organizations. A few countries peg their currencies against SDRs, and it is also used to denominate some private international financial instruments.

SDRs have the ISO 4217 currency code XDR.

The latest value of the SDR in terms of the US dollar is available from the IMF, updated daily.

External links

SDR Fact Sheet at the IMF

Non-Fiction Usage: Special Drawing Rights

Subject	Topic	Quote
Economic History	Sri Lanka	It depreciated 5.5 percent against the Special Drawing Rights (SDR). The real effective exchange rate appreciated marginally by 0.6 percent due to higher inflation in Sri Lanka. (references)
	Sweden	The agreement's coverage extends to purchases of goods by specified government entities (e.g. ministries and Government authorities) listed in the agreement on contracts valued at 130,000 Special Drawing Rights (about $190,000). The list includes all the central government entities of the major developed countries. (references)
	Japan	Government procurement contracts covered by the agreement have a value not less than the thresholds (denominated in special drawing rights or "SDRs") specified by the agreement, and include the procurement of products and services by purchase, lease, or rental by the agencies and organizations subject to the agreement. (references)
Political Economy	UNITED ARAB EMIRATES	Since November 1980, the dirham, though formally pegged to the IMF's Special Drawing Rights (SDR) at the rate of 4.76190 dirhams per SDR, with a margin of fluctuation set initially at 2.25 percent and widened in August 1987 to 7.25 percent, has been kept in a fixed relationship with the U.S. dollar. (references)
Trade	Saudi Arabia	Although officially linked to the IMF's Special Drawing Rights, Saudi Arabia in practice pegs its currency, the riyal, to the U.S. dollar. (references)
	Qatar	Also controlled by the QCB, the Qatari Riyal has been officially fixed to the Special Drawing Rights (SDR) since 1979 at the rate of QR 4,7619 each unit of SDR, with a margin of plus or minus 7.25 percent. (references)
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Expressions: Special Drawing Rights

Modern Translation: Special Drawing Rights

Language		Translations for "special drawing rights"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses.
Danish		modpostering til nettotildelingen af saerlige traekningsrettigheder (counterpart of the net allocations of special drawing rights), aktiv i form af saerlige traekningsrettigheder (asset consisting of special drawing rights, asset in SDRs). (various references)

Dutch		vordering in de vorm van bijzondere trekkingsrechten (asset consisting of special drawing rights, asset in SDRs), tegenwaarde der netto toegewezen bijzondere trekkingsrechten (counterpart of the net allocations of special drawing rights). (various references)

French		tirage spéciaux. (various references)

Greek		συμψηφιστικά στοιχεία της καθαρής κατανομής των ειδικών τραβηκτικών δικαιωμάτων (counterpart of the net allocations of special drawing rights), απαιτήσεις σε ειδικά τραβηκτικά δικαιώματα (asset consisting of special drawing rights, asset in SDRs). (various references)

Hungarian		különleges lehívási jogok (sdr). (various references)

Italian		contropartita per assegnazione netta di DSP (counterpart of the net allocations of special drawing rights), attivit� per diritti speciali di prelievo (asset consisting of special drawing rights, asset in SDRs). (various references)

Japanese Kanji		特別引出し権 . (various references)

Japanese Katakana		とくべつひき� しけ�". (various references)

Pig Latin		ecialspay awingdray ightsray

Spanish		tenencia de derechos especiales de giro (asset consisting of special drawing rights, asset in SDRs), contrapartida de las asignaciones netas de derechos especiales de giro (counterpart of the net allocations of special drawing rights), activo financiero consistente en DEG (asset consisting of special drawing rights, asset in SDRs). (various references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references.

Special Drawing Rights

Definition: Special Drawing Rights