Managed float regime
Term from the banking sector
A managed float regime, also known as a dirty float, is a type of exchange rate regime where a currency's value is allowed to fluctuate in response to foreign-exchange market mechanisms (i.e., supply and demand), but the central bank or monetary authority of the country intervenes occasionally to stabilize or steer the currency's value in a particular direction. This is in contrast to a pure float where the value is entirely determined by market forces, and a fixed exchange rate where the value is pegged to another currency or a basket of currencies.
Under a managed float regime, the central bank might buy or sell its own currency in the foreign exchange market to counteract short-term fluctuations, to prevent excessive depreciation or appreciation, or to achieve certain economic goals such as controlling inflation or boosting exports.
In an increasingly integrated world economy, the currency rates impact any given country's economy through the trade balance. In this aspect, almost all currencies are managed since central banks or governments intervene to influence the value of their currencies. According to the International Monetary Fund, as of 2013, 82 countries and regions used a managed float, or 43% of all countries, constituting a plurality amongst exchange rate regime types.
International financial organizations, like the IMF, categorize countries' exchange rate regimes based on specific criteria, but these classifications aren't necessarily objective and may not fully capture the nuances of a country's exchange rate policies. For example, a country may normally have a floating exchange rate regime but intervene in times of extreme volatility, a country may formally claim to be following one exchange rate regime (de jure) while having another in practice (de facto).
For more detail on each country's exchange rate regime, it is recommended to read IMF's Annual Report on Exchange Arrangements and Exchange Restrictions.
01Countries with managed floating currencies
The below is a list of countries where, in 2022, the IMF has classified the regime as "Other managed arrangement" or "Stabilized arrangement", or where the IMF states that the de jure arrangement is a managed float. The IMF reclassifies the countries frequently based on the actions of their central banks.
In its annual report, the IMF also notes instances where central banks have intervened, even for countries where it still classifies the currency as free floating. For instance, the Japanese Ministry of Finance, it notes, has "intervened in the foreign exchange market in September 22, October 21, and October 24, 2022, to address excess volatility and disorderly exchange rate movement for the first time since 2011".
- Source:
| Country | Stabilized arrangement | Other managed arrangement | De jure managed float |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | de jure managed | ||
| Algeria | de jure managed | ||
| Angola | Other managed | ||
| Armenia | Stabilized | ||
| Azerbaijan | Stabilized | ||
| Bangladesh | Other managed | ||
| Bolivia | Stabilized | ||
| Burundi | de jure managed | ||
| Cambodia | de jure managed | ||
| China | Other managed | de jure managed | |
| Costa Rica | de jure managed | ||
| Dominican Republic | Other managed | de jure managed | |
| Ethiopia | de jure managed | ||
| Ghana | Other managed | ||
| Guatemala | Stabilized | ||
| Guinea | Stabilized | de jure managed | |
| Guyana | Stabilized | ||
| Haiti | Other managed | ||
| Honduras | Stabilized | ||
| Iran | Other managed | de jure managed | |
| Kuwait | Other managed | ||
| Laos | Other managed | de jure managed | |
| Lebanon | Stabilized | ||
| Liberia | de jure managed | ||
| Malawi | Stabilized | ||
| Maldives | Stabilized | ||
| Mozambique | Stabilized | ||
| Myanmar | Stabilized | de jure managed | |
| Pakistan | Other managed | ||
| Papua New Guinea | Stabilized | ||
| North Macedonia | Stabilized | ||
| Romania | Stabilized | de jure managed | |
| Serbia | Stabilized | de jure managed | |
| Sierra Leone | Other managed | ||
| Singapore | de jure managed | ||
| Solomon Islands | Other managed | ||
| South Sudan | Other managed | ||
| Sudan | Stabilized | ||
| Syria | Other managed | ||
| Tajikistan | Stabilized | de jure managed | |
| Tanzania | Stabilized | ||
| Tonga | Other managed | de jure managed | |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Stabilized | ||
| Ukraine | Stabilized | ||
| Vanuatu | Other managed | ||
| Venezuela | Other managed | ||
| Vietnam | Stabilized | de jure managed | |
| Zimbabwe | Other managed |
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Managed float regime”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Exchange rate arrangements map.svg by NilsTycho, CC BY-SA 3.0
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