Central Banks

Central Banks is a data page on the World Powers desk of Glassbox Auditing. Policy rates, every decision since 1969, rate cycles, real rates, balance sheets, and who holds U.S. Treasuries. Rates set the cost of credit for governments, companies and households, and rate gaps between countries move currencies.

Last updated: 6 Nov 2026.

What is on this page today?

• Elvira Nabiullina has led the Bank of Russia longest of the 16 tracked central banks' current heads: 13.4 years since June 2013 — Years in office of each bank's current head, as of the last read; 4 of 20 banks are left out where the sources disagree on who leads or give no start date (Wikidata and the central banks' own pages (Federal Reserve Board for the Fed), 6 Nov 2026)
• The Bank of Japan has had 12 heads since 1969, one every 4.8 years — Heads of the 6 banks whose record on Wikidata runs unbroken back to 1969; the other banks' records have gaps and stay on the page (Wikidata (position held), 6 Nov 2026)
• The Federal Reserve Board's 7 governors have served 6.0 years on average; Jerome H. Powell longest, 14.5 years — Time since each current governor joined the Board of Governors; the 2026 FOMC has 12 voting members (Federal Reserve Board membership records, 6 Nov 2026)
• The Argentine peso fell 6.3% in value against the U.S. dollar over the year to 5 Nov — 1,545 pesos per dollar on 5 Nov, 1,448 pesos per dollar a year earlier and 1,519 pesos per dollar a month earlier · A higher number of pesos per dollar is a weaker peso; a plus sign here is a stronger peso · The central… (Banco Central de la Republica Argentina (statistics), 4 Nov 2026)
• Argentina's gross international reserves were $50.3 billion on 3 Nov, 23.3% higher than a year earlier — $48.7 billion a month earlier · Gross: borrowed dollars and swap lines are included, so this is not the net position · The central bank's statistics do not carry the exchange-rate band itself (Banco Central de la Republica Argentina (statistics), 2 Nov 2026)
• The Chinese yuan rose 6.9% in value against the U.S. dollar over the year to 30 Oct — CNY per dollar: 7.11 a year earlier, 6.65 on 30 Oct · The Federal Reserve's noon rates in New York; a plus sign is a stronger currency, whichever way it is quoted (Federal Reserve (H.10 foreign exchange rates), 29 Oct 2026)
• The Norwegian krone rose 9.1% in value against the U.S. dollar over the year to 30 Oct — NOK per dollar: 10.05 a year earlier, 9.21 on 30 Oct · The Federal Reserve's noon rates in New York; a plus sign is a stronger currency, whichever way it is quoted (Federal Reserve (H.10 foreign exchange rates), 29 Oct 2026)
• The Australian dollar rose 7.4% in value against the U.S. dollar over the year to 30 Oct — Dollars per AUD: 0.6555 a year earlier, 0.7038 on 30 Oct · The Federal Reserve's noon rates in New York; a plus sign is a stronger currency, whichever way it is quoted (Federal Reserve (H.10 foreign exchange rates), 29 Oct 2026)
• The South Korean won rose 7.2% in value against the U.S. dollar over the year to 30 Oct — KRW per dollar: 1,430.45 a year earlier, 1,333.99 on 30 Oct · The Federal Reserve's noon rates in New York; a plus sign is a stronger currency, whichever way it is quoted (Federal Reserve (H.10 foreign exchange rates), 29 Oct 2026)
• The Thai baht fell 4.1% in value against the U.S. dollar over the year to 30 Oct — THB per dollar: 32.37 a year earlier, 33.76 on 30 Oct · The Federal Reserve's noon rates in New York; a plus sign is a stronger currency, whichever way it is quoted (Federal Reserve (H.10 foreign exchange rates), 29 Oct 2026)
• The Taiwan dollar fell 5.7% in value against the U.S. dollar over the year to 30 Oct — TWD per dollar: 30.74 a year earlier, 32.59 on 30 Oct · The Federal Reserve's noon rates in New York; a plus sign is a stronger currency, whichever way it is quoted (Federal Reserve (H.10 foreign exchange rates), 29 Oct 2026)
• The Indian rupee fell 6.6% in value against the U.S. dollar over the year to 30 Oct — INR per dollar: 88.64 a year earlier, 94.94 on 30 Oct · The Federal Reserve's noon rates in New York; a plus sign is a stronger currency, whichever way it is quoted (Federal Reserve (H.10 foreign exchange rates), 29 Oct 2026)
• FOMC decision on 28 Oct: 10-2 vote, 2 dissents — Against: Lisa D. Cook (preferred to raise the target range for the federal funds rate by 1/4 percentage point at this meeting); Beth M. Hammack (preferred to raise the target range for the federal funds rate by 1/4… (Federal Reserve (FOMC statement), 28 Oct 2026)
• The Sri Lankan rupee fell 8.5% in value against the U.S. dollar over the year to 30 Oct — LKR per dollar: 304.20 a year earlier, 332.55 on 30 Oct · The Federal Reserve's noon rates in New York; a plus sign is a stronger currency, whichever way it is quoted (Federal Reserve (H.10 foreign exchange rates), 29 Oct 2026)
• Bank of Canada raised its rate 0.25 pt to 2.50% — Rate decision · target overnight rate; from 2.25% (Central banks, 28 Oct 2026)
• Bowman: Supervisory Modernization After Silicon Valley Bank (Federal Reserve Board, 14 Oct 2026)
• Canada added $38.3B of U.S. Treasuries in August 2026, to $464.6B — +20.6B on a year earlier (U.S. Treasury (TIC), 30 Aug 2026)
• Japan held $1,068 billion of U.S. Treasury securities in August 2026, 9.8% less than a year earlier — $1,184 billion a year earlier · 11.4% of all foreign holdings · Highest month $1,326 billion (Nov 2021) · By country of the holder or custodian; custody centres hold for owners elsewhere (U.S. Treasury (Treasury International Capital), 30 Aug 2026)
• China held $591 billion of U.S. Treasury securities in August 2026, 15.6% less than a year earlier — $700 billion a year earlier · 6.3% of all foreign holdings · Highest month $1,317 billion (Nov 2013) · By country of the holder or custodian; custody centres hold for owners elsewhere (U.S. Treasury (Treasury International Capital), 30 Aug 2026)
• Japan cut $35.6B of U.S. Treasuries in August 2026, to $1,068.3B — -115.6B on a year earlier (U.S. Treasury (TIC), 30 Aug 2026)

Where does the data come from?

Items on this page come from Wikidata and the central banks' own pages (Federal Reserve Board for the Fed); Wikidata (position held); Federal Reserve Board membership records; Banco Central de la Republica Argentina (statistics); Federal Reserve (H.10 foreign exchange rates); Federal Reserve (FOMC statement); Central banks; Federal Reserve Board. Each item links to its own source. All sources, how items are checked.

What does this page lead to?

• Debt & Interest (Macro): The Fed's rate sets the short end of the Treasury curve and feeds what the government pays to refinance its debt. (moves the same way; same day; economy scale) Source: FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis).
• Credit & Housing (Macro): Rate rises pass into mortgage, card and business-loan rates, which slows borrowing and home sales; cuts work the other way. (moves the other way; weeks to months; economy scale) Source: FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis).
• Kalshi (Markets): Kalshi's Fed markets price the next decision; a surprise move by another big central bank or a shift in the Fed's stance moves those odds. (either way, depending on the cause; same day; economy scale) Source: Kalshi prediction markets.
• Energy & Materials (Macro): A rate gap in the Fed's favour tends to lift the dollar, and a stronger dollar tends to lower the dollar prices of oil, gold and metals. (moves the other way; weeks; global scale) Source: FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis).
• Valuation (Companies): Higher policy rates raise the rate investors use to discount future earnings, which tends to lower price-to-earnings multiples, most for long-dated growth stocks. (moves the other way; months; sector scale) Source: FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis).
• Bond Issuance (Companies): Higher rates raise what companies pay on new bonds, so issuance tends to slow when rates climb and pick up when they fall. (moves the other way; months; sector scale) Source: FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis).

What feeds this page?

• Risk Monitor (Briefing): Broad financial stress tends to bring central banks to cut rates or lend to banks, as the Fed did in 2008, 2020 and March 2023, unless inflation holds them back. (either way, depending on the cause; weeks to months; global scale) Source: Federal Reserve H.4.1 (the Fed's balance sheet).
• Federal Reports (Calendar): FOMC decisions set the U.S. policy rate that other central banks' rates and currencies are measured against; each decision is logged with theirs. (either way, depending on the cause; on each decision; global scale) Source: FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis).
• Finance (Global Intelligence): A policy rate change abroad moves that currency against the dollar and, through it, the dollar value of U.S. companies' sales in that country. (either way, depending on the cause; same day; global scale) Source: FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis).
• All Indicators (Macro): The federal funds rate and the dollar on the board are the benchmark other central banks work against: a wider U.S. rate gap tends to strengthen the dollar and press other currencies, especially in importing economies. (either way, depending on the cause; months; global scale) Source: FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis).
• Debt & Interest (Macro): Foreign central banks and the Fed hold a large share of Treasuries; when either holds less, as in the Fed's balance-sheet runoff, private buyers must absorb more of the debt, which tends to need higher yields. (either way, depending on the cause; months to years; global scale) Source: Federal Reserve H.4.1 (the Fed's balance sheet).
• Prices & Inflation (Macro): Inflation above the Fed's 2% goal tends to keep the policy rate higher for longer; the Fed's decisions and real rates are tracked beside other central banks'. (moves the same way; months; economy scale) Source: FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis).
• Labor Market (Macro): Jobs are half the Fed's mandate: fast hiring and wage growth tend to keep it from cutting rates, while rising unemployment pushes it to ease. (moves the same way; months; economy scale) Source: FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis).
• Oil Stress (Macro): Oil shocks lift inflation expectations while slowing growth, which leaves central banks between the two; oil importers' central banks face the hardest trade-off. (either way, depending on the cause; months; global scale) Source: 5-year breakeven inflation (Treasury) and University of Michigan 1-year expectations, via FRED.
• Currencies (Macro): A stronger dollar against the yen raises Japan's local cost of dollar debts and imported fuel, which presses the Bank of Japan to weigh a weaker yen against its rate decisions. (either way, depending on the cause; weeks to months; global scale) Source: Federal Reserve H.10, foreign exchange rates (daily noon buying rates), via FRED; broad dollar index DTWEXBGS; OECD 10-year government bond yields (IRLTLT01USM156N, IRLTLT01JPM156N) via FRED.
• Fed Statements (Macro): The Fed's stated path for rates is what other central banks weigh theirs against; a change in its language shifts the rate gap and the dollar that the Central Banks page compares. (either way, depending on the cause; weeks to months; global scale) Source: Federal Reserve Board speeches (RSS and the speech pages).
• Kalshi (Markets): A higher expected Fed rate tends to strengthen the dollar and widen the rate gap with other countries, putting pressure on central banks whose currencies weaken against it. (moves the same way; weeks; global scale) Source: FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis).
• Books & Essays (People & Money): Central bankers and Fed nominees often have long research records, and markets read their published views on inflation and rates when they are nominated and when they vote. (either way, depending on the cause; months; global scale) Source: ORCID public records.
• Economies & Debt (World Powers): Inflation above target is what central banks respond to, so the inflation readings here are the ones each bank's rate path follows. (moves the same way; months; global scale) Source: IMF World Economic Outlook / DataMapper.

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