🇨🇦 CAD vs 🇺🇸 USD: Currency Strength Comparison
Data updated: November 6, 2026
On November 6, 2026, one US Dollar bought 1.4066 CAD at the official reference rate, so per unit the US Dollar is worth more. A higher unit value only reflects how each currency is denominated, not which one is gaining: over the past 12 months CAD moved +0.2% against USD, so on momentum the two are roughly level.
Adjusted for consumer-price inflation in both economies, CAD gained 1.2% in real terms against USD over the same period.
CAD relative to USD
Positive values mean CAD strengthened against USD.
CAD vs USD over the last three years
CAD against USD, index 100 on November 6, 2023. A rising line means CAD gained on USD. Dashed: the same, adjusted for consumer-price inflation in both economies. Green dot: 3-year high, red: 3-year low.
- 3-year high: 103.4 on December 27, 2023, when CAD was at its strongest against USD in the period.
- 3-year low: 93.2 on February 3, 2025.
- Now: 97.1, 6.1% below the high and 4.1% above the low.
- Sharpest one-month move: CAD rose 4.1% against USD between April 1, 2025 and April 30, 2025, around the time of “Carney's Liberals win Canada election” (🇨🇦 April 28, 2025).
What moved CAD and USD
- · 🇨🇦 US declines to extend CUSMA deal — The US-Canada-Mexico trade pact stays in force but shifts to annual reviews, not a 16-year extension
- · 🇺🇸 Senate confirms Warsh as Fed chair — Kevin Warsh is confirmed in the closest Fed chair vote in modern history, succeeding Powell
- · 🇺🇸 Supreme Court strikes down IEEPA tariffs — The Court rules 6-3 that Trump's emergency-powers tariffs exceeded presidential authority
- · 🇨🇦 Trump cancels all Canada trade talks — Trump terminates trade negotiations with Canada after a dispute over an anti-tariff ad
- · 🇺🇸 Fed resumes cutting to 4.00-4.25% — The FOMC restarts its easing cycle after holding rates since December 2024
- · 🇺🇸 Moody's strips US of AAA rating — Moody's downgrades US sovereign debt, citing rising debt and interest costs
Major central-bank decisions, elections and shocks for the two currencies since November 6, 2023. The interactive chart marks them on the line.
Performance against 15 major currencies
| Currency | 12-month change vs basket | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar (CAD) | +1.3% | #5 of 16 |
| 🇺🇸 US Dollar (USD) | +1.1% | #6 of 16 |
Open the interactive CAD/USD chart →
How this comparison works
Each currency's strength index starts at 100 and accumulates its daily change against 15 other major currencies (a geometric mean of pairwise exchange-rate moves), using European Central Bank reference rates and other official sources. The relative figures above divide CAD's index by USD's, so they reflect the two currencies' performance against each other while accounting for the whole basket. The real variant additionally adjusts each currency for its domestic CPI inflation.
Read the full methodology →Frequently asked questions
Is CAD stronger than USD right now?
It depends on the question. Per unit, 1 USD = 1.4066 CAD (reference rate, November 6, 2026), so the US Dollar is worth more. As for which one is gaining, over the past 12 months CAD moved +0.2% against USD, so on momentum the two are roughly level.
How do CAD and USD perform against other major currencies?
Against a basket of 15 major currencies over the past 12 months, CAD ranks #5 of 16 (+1.3%) while USD ranks #6 (+1.1%).
What does the CAD vs USD strength comparison show?
Rather than a single exchange rate, this page compares how each currency performed against a basket of 15 major currencies, then derives their relative strength. It filters out moves caused by the other currency alone and shows who is truly stronger.
How often is the data updated?
Every trading day (Monday to Friday), after the European Central Bank publishes its reference rates, usually around 16:00 CET.