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Founding members of the euro

Eleven countries launched the euro on 1 January 1999. Greece joined two years later, in 2001.

The full list

The four biggest 4

Germany, France, Italy and Spain, the largest of the founding economies.

• 🇩🇪Germany
• 🇫🇷France
• 🇮🇹Italy
• 🇪🇸Spain

Benelux 3

Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

• 🇧🇪Belgium
• 🇳🇱Netherlands
• 🇱🇺Luxembourg

The other four 4

Austria, Finland, Ireland and Portugal.

• 🇦🇹Austria
• 🇫🇮Finland
• 🇮🇪Ireland
• 🇵🇹Portugal

Not on the list

• Greece: Did not meet convergence criteria in time.
• United Kingdom, Denmark, Sweden: EU members at the time that chose not to join the euro at launch.

Questions

How many countries launched the euro?

Eleven countries launched the euro on 1 January 1999. Greece joined two years later, in 2001.

Which countries are on the list?

Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Austria, Finland, Ireland and Portugal.

What is an easy way to remember them?

4 + 3 + 4: the four big economies (Germany, France, Italy, Spain), the three Benelux countries, then Austria, Finland, Ireland and Portugal.

Was Greece a founding member of the euro?

No. Greece joined on 1 January 2001, two years after the launch.

More lists

Each name checked against at least two sources, one of them ECB, on 28 September 2026. Next review by 28 September 2028.
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