U.S. Dollar, Euro reach parity for first time in 2 decades

A financial display screen in west London displays the latest trading of the US dollar against the euro, Tuesday Dec. 7, 2004. In earlier trading Tuesday, the euro rose to a new high of $1.3470 against the US dollar, though It dropped back to $1.3440. This is due to concerns about the U.S. deficits and signals that the Bush administration is not prepared to step in to support the dollar. (AP Photo/Jane Mingay)

For the first time in two decades, the value of a U.S. dollar was equal to the Euro.

According to the European Central Bank, the last time the two currencies were equal was November 2002. Since then, the value of 1 Euro has exceeded the value of 1 U.S. dollar.

At one point in 2008, just before the U.S. entered a recession, the value of 1 Euro was equal to $1.58.

Since February, the value of the Euro has dropped over 12%. Europe has seen more severe economic impacts from the war in Ukraine, including a steeper increase in energy prices.

In much of western Europe, gas prices have reached more than $8 a gallon.

The International Monetary Fund said in April that the war in Ukraine has set Europe back in its post-COVID recovery.

“The war is a serious setback to Europe’s strong yet incomplete recovery from the pandemic, which left private consumption and investment well below pre-coronavirus forecasts, even as fiscal and monetary support underpinned an impressive rebound in employment almost to levels last seen before the pandemic,” it wrote.

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