Canadians searched for currency conversions over 9.9 million times per month in 2025 — and one pair alone ate up nearly two-thirds of that total.
USD/CAD dominates with ~6.4 million monthly searches, according to Semrush data for Canada. CAD/INR follows at 1.5 million, driven by one of the country's fastest-growing diaspora corridors.
The remaining eight pairs — EUR, JPY, GBP, CNY, PHP, MXN, PKR, and KRW — round out a top 10 shaped by trade relationships, immigration patterns, and remittance flows.
Nearly every pair on the list maps to either a major trading partner (the U.S., EU, Japan, China, Mexico) or a high-volume remittance corridor (India, Philippines, Pakistan). Some fit both categories.
In this report, we’ll do a full breakdown — backed by:
- Bank of Canada monetary policy reports
- World Bank remittance pricing
- Statistics Canada trade data
- IRCC immigration records
- BIS global FX surveys
What are the top 10 currency pairs Canadians search for?
The table below shows each pair's aggregated monthly search volume across all keyword variants, along with its share of the total top-10 searches.
| Rank | Currency pair | Monthly searches | Share of top 10 | Primary driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CAD ↔ USD | 6,431,000 | 64.85% | Trade & cross-border activity |
| 2 | CAD ↔ INR | 1,527,700 | 15.41% | Diaspora & remittances |
| 3 | CAD ↔ EUR | 616,200 | 6.21% | Travel & business |
| 4 | CAD ↔ JPY | 296,300 | 2.99% | Trade & tourism |
| 5 | CAD ↔ GBP | 261,800 | 2.64% | Travel & expat links |
| 6 | CAD ↔ CNY | 229,200 | 2.31% | Diaspora & trade |
| 7 | CAD ↔ PHP | 192,200 | 1.94% | Remittances |
| 8 | CAD ↔ MXN | 143,400 | 1.45% | Tourism & CUSMA trade |
| 9 | CAD ↔ PKR | 109,600 | 1.11% | Remittances |
| 10 | CAD ↔ KRW | 108,800 | 1.10% | Community & consumer trade |
That gap between #1 and #2 is staggering. USD/CAD pulls more than four times the search volume of CAD/INR — and more than all other nine pairs combined. The reasons become clear once you look at the economics behind each pair.
How did we determine the ranking?
We aggregated monthly search volumes from a SEMrush Canada extract covering hundreds of currency-related queries.
Every spelling variant, quantity-based search (like "100 usd to cad" or "1 cad to inr"), and directional query (e.g., "usd to cad" plus "cad to usd") was clustered into a single canonical pair bucket — so no pair gets double-counted. Google Trends and Google Keyword Planner documentation served as directional cross-checks.
To explain why each pair trends, we layered in macro data from the Bank of Canada, Global Affairs Canada trade reports, CBIE student statistics, and World Bank remittance databases.
Why is USD/CAD the most searched pair in Canada?
No pair comes close. "USD to CAD" alone pulls 2.74 million monthly searches, and when you add "CAD to USD" (1.22 million), "US to CAD" (301,000), and hundreds of amount-based queries like "100 usd to cad" (90,500), the total balloons past 6.4 million. Three forces create that demand.
Trade dependence
Statistics Canada reports that ~75.9% of Canada's merchandise exports and 62.2% of imports involved the U.S. in 2024. That level of integration means businesses, importers, and commodity traders are checking the USD/CAD exchange rate constantly — because a one-cent shift can move millions in contract value.
2025 volatility spike
The Bank of Canada's January 2025 Monetary Policy Report flagged policy rate differentials and trade-policy uncertainty as contributors to CAD depreciation from late 2024 onward.
RBC Investor Services separately noted CAD volatility spikes in early 2025 not seen since the mid-2010s outside crisis periods. That kind of headline attention pushes ordinary Canadians — not just traders — to Google the rate.
Global liquidity
The 2025 BIS Triennial Survey confirms the USD sits on one side of ~89% of all global FX trades. The CFEC April 2025 survey echoes strong Canadian FX volumes. When the world's most liquid currency is also your neighbor's currency, it dominates search interest by default.
| USD/CAD search query | Monthly volume |
|---|---|
| usd to cad | 2,740,000 |
| cad to usd | 1,220,000 |
| us to cad | 301,000 |
| 1 usd to cad | 110,000 |
| 100 usd to cad | 90,500 |
| convert usd to cad | 74,000 |
| usd to cad exchange rate | 60,500 |
Those seven queries alone account for 4.6 million searches — and there are dozens more in the long tail.
Why does CAD/INR rank second?
The CAD/INR corridor generates 1.53 million monthly searches — more than EUR, GBP, and JPY combined. The driving force is demographic — India has been Canada's #1 source country for immigrants and international students for several consecutive years.
Diaspora scale
IRCC data show over 118,000 Indians obtained Canadian permanent residence in 2022 alone (27% of all new PRs). The 2021 Census counted more than 1.3 million people of Indian origin in Canada, and that number has grown since.
Statistics Canada's language data ranks Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu among the most spoken non-official languages — a direct mirror of CAD/INR search demand.
Remittance flow
Canada is among the top 10 source countries for remittances to India. In India's FY2024, Canada accounted for about 3.8% of India's $119 billion in remittance inflows — roughly USD $4.5 billion sent from Canada, according to data compiled from Reserve Bank of India reports.
The World Bank Remittance Prices database lists dozens of providers on the Canada→India corridor, confirming the volume and price sensitivity of senders who send money to India regularly.
Student corridor
CBIE reports India as Canada's #1 international student source, with over 300,000 Indian students in the system. Students and their families convert money for tuition, rent, and living expenses — generating persistent, recurring currency exchange searches throughout the academic year.
| CAD/INR search query | Monthly volume |
|---|---|
| cad to inr | 1,220,000 |
| 1 cad to inr | 110,000 |
| inr to cad | 90,500 |
| cad to inr today | 40,500 |
| rupees to cad | 27,100 |
What drives CAD/EUR searches?
EUR ranks third at 616,200 monthly searches — smaller than INR but still a heavyweight. The pair is powered by a mix of Canadian tourism to Europe, CETA-linked trade activity, and institutional investment flows.
Travel demand
About 20% of Canadian outbound travelers plan European trips, making the continent one of the most popular destinations after the U.S.
Over 1 million Canadian tourists visited the U.K. in 2023 alone (a record year), and millions more traveled to EU countries. Every booking, hotel comparison, and shopping abroad moment prompts a quick "euro to cad" lookup.
Trade & macro
Global Affairs Canada's 2024 trade update showed strong Europe-related export growth (including gold routed through the U.K.).
The Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) continues to deepen bilateral commerce. The Bank of Canada's 2025 Monetary Policy Reports discuss evolving tariff scenarios affecting EUR crosses — keeping businesses and investors engaged with the pair.
The euro's status as the world's second-largest reserve currency adds an investor dimension. Canadians with European stock or bond holdings track EUR/CAD not just for travel, but for portfolio valuations.
How do the remaining seven pairs stack up?
Each pair from #4 to #10 reflects a distinct Canadian connection — trade partner, diaspora, or vacation pipeline. The table below compares them side by side before we examine each one.
| Pair | Monthly searches | Primary driver | Key stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAD ↔ JPY | 296,300 | Trade & tourism | Japan is a top-5 export market for Canada |
| CAD ↔ GBP | 261,800 | Travel & expats | 1M+ Canadians visited the U.K. in 2023 |
| CAD ↔ CNY | 229,200 | Diaspora & trade | ~1.7M Chinese-origin Canadians |
| CAD ↔ PHP | 192,200 | Remittances | 960,000+ Filipino-origin Canadians |
| CAD ↔ MXN | 143,400 | Tourism | 4.2M Canadian visitors to Mexico in 2023 |
| CAD ↔ PKR | 109,600 | Remittances | ~202,000 Pakistani-origin Canadians |
| CAD ↔ KRW | 108,800 | Community & trade | Korean is a top non-official language |
CAD to JPY
The yen at #4 may surprise some readers, but Japan is consistently among Canada's top five export destinations. In 2023, Japan ranked as Canada's third-largest individual country export market (after the U.S. and China), with industries like autos, energy, and agriculture linking both economies through the CPTPP trade agreement.
JPY's well-documented global weakness in 2024–25 — driven by carry-trade dynamics and Bank of Japan policy shifts — drew extra attention from Canadian importers and travelers.
Global Affairs Canada's 2024 report noted mixed export performance across the Indo-Pacific (including declines to Japan), but underlying commerce and growing leisure travel to Tokyo and Osaka kept CAD/JPY demand steady. When the yen hit multi-decade lows against the USD, Canadian media covered it — and search volumes reflected the curiosity.
CAD to GBP
Over 1 million Canadians visited Britain in 2023, up 12% from the prior year. That record-breaking travel volume, combined with Commonwealth-era family ties and a sizable Canadian expat population in London, keeps GBP lookups consistent.
On the trade side, the U.K. typically ranks among Canada's top five partners by total volume — partly driven by gold and energy exports routed through London.
Elevated G10 volatility in early 2025 (flagged by RBC Investor Services) kept GBP crosses on the radar of Canadian asset managers and frequent travelers who want to time their conversions.
Many Canadian students also pursue graduate studies in the U.K., and tuition in pounds adds up fast — making exchange rate awareness a financial priority for families.
CAD to CNY
China is Canada's second-largest trading partner, with bilateral merchandise trade exceeding $118 billion in 2024, according to Global Affairs Canada.
The yuan's search volume reflects both commercial activity and the ~1.7 million Chinese-origin Canadians (roughly 5% of the population) who maintain financial and family connections across the Pacific.
Mandarin and Cantonese rank among Canada's most spoken non-official languages per Statistics Canada. Remittances from Canada to China were estimated at roughly C$300 million annually, and the World Bank lists multiple providers on the corridor. Chinese international students in Canada (a sizable group) also convert funds regularly for tuition and expenses.
When the RMB weakened past 7.3 per USD in mid-2025 — its lowest in 15 years — the headlines pushed Canadians to check what that meant for CAD/CNY too. Understanding how exchange rates work becomes especially relevant in moments like that.
CAD to PHP
The Philippines connection runs deep. Over 960,000 Filipino-origin Canadians were counted in the 2021 Census, and the community is one of the most active remittance-sending groups in the country. Tagalog ranks among Canada's most common non-official languages.
Canada is a top source of remittances to the Philippines. In 2017, the Philippines received CAD $1.2 billion from Canada — the largest from any single country that year.
More recently, Filipino Canadians contributed about 3.2% of global Filipino remittances in early 2024, and from January to October 2025, over $1 billion (USD) was sent to the Philippines from Canada.
A Statistics Canada study even noted the Philippines as the #1 destination of international money transfers from Canada — ahead of India in the period examined.
Every payday, many Filipino Canadians check the CAD to PHP rate before sending money home. When the peso hit record lows against the USD in 2022, the resulting favorable CAD/PHP rate made community headlines and spiked searches.
CAD to MXN
Mexico is a Canadian obsession — at least in winter. Over 4.2 million Canadian visitors went to Mexico in 2023, making Canada the second-largest source of foreign tourists (after the U.S.). That's more visitors than all of Europe sent combined.
| Mexico search driver | Detail |
|---|---|
| Winter tourism | Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Cabo — annual snowbird migration |
| Retirees & snowbirds | Thousands spend months in Mexico; sensitive to rate shifts |
| CUSMA trade | Mexico ranks as one of Canada's top 5 trading partners |
| Remittances | Mexico received ~$390M from Canada in 2017 (3rd highest) |
| Latin America imports | Up 7.6% in 2024 per Global Affairs Canada |
Canadian snowbirds who winter in Mexico monitor MXN rates closely because a few-percent shift can stretch — or squeeze — a multi-month budget.
Since visa requirements between Canada and Mexico were lifted, travel in both directions has increased. Under CUSMA/USMCA supply chains, bilateral commercial activity adds a business angle to the seasonal tourism demand.
CAD to PKR
About 202,000 Canadians trace their roots to Pakistan (2021 Census), and the community has grown since. Pakistan sits among the top five destinations of remittances from Canada, with an estimated CAD $236 million sent in 2017.
The [IOM reports](https://dtm.iom.int/sites/g/files/tmzbdl1461/files/reports/Remittance Inflows to Pakistan_2025.pdf?iframe=true) Pakistan's total 2024 remittance inflows at roughly US$35 billion — one of the highest globally — with Canada being a smaller but consistent source.
The Pakistani rupee saw dramatic depreciation in 2023–24 (crossing PKR 200 per USD), which actually boosted search activity among diaspora Canadians wanting to lock in favorable rates.
Every Canadian dollar converted to more rupees — a strong incentive to time transfers. Students, NGOs sending aid, and families supporting relatives all contribute to the steady stream of "cad to pkr" searches (74,000/month for that query alone).
The State Bank of Pakistan tracks formal remittance channels and costs, which affect how senders choose providers.
CAD to KRW
Korean rounds out the top 10, driven by a combination of community presence and consumer/trade links. Korean is among Canada's important non-official languages, and imports of Korean electronics and automobiles create ongoing commercial interest in the won.
Global Affairs Canada's 2024 data showed Indo-Pacific import growth — which includes Korean goods — supporting periodic KRW checks among both traders and consumers.
The query "45.6 billion won to cad" alone pulled 9,900 monthly searches (likely tied to pop-culture references or news events), showing how cultural touchpoints can spike currency interest alongside business needs.
What macro forces amplified currency searches in 2025?
Beyond individual pair dynamics, three broader forces pushed Canadians to search for exchange rates more often in 2025.
| Force | Impact on searches |
|---|---|
| BoC–Fed rate divergence | CAD weakened vs USD from late 2024; households and businesses tracked the gap |
| Trade policy uncertainty | Tariff threats and CUSMA renegotiation talks drove FX anxiety |
| Global FX volatility | RBC flagged CAD volatility spikes not seen since the mid-2010s outside shock periods |
The Bank of Canada's January 2025 report specifically called out policy rate differentials and trade-policy uncertainty as weighing on CAD. When the central bank itself says the loonie is under pressure, people pay attention — and Google reflects it.
The CFEC April 2025 FX volume survey showed strong trading activity, while the BIS Triennial confirmed that the USD's ~89% share of global FX trades continues to concentrate attention on USD pairs above all others. Understanding the mid-market rate and exchange rate margins becomes more important during periods like this.
What does the data tell us about Canada's connections?
The top 10 pairs divide neatly into two categories — and some pairs sit in both.
| Category | Pairs | Common thread |
|---|---|---|
| Major trading partners | USD, EUR, JPY, GBP, CNY, MXN | Commerce, investment, institutional FX |
| Diaspora & remittance corridors | INR, PHP, PKR, CNY, KRW | Family ties, student flows, regular money transfers |
Canada is the sixth-largest source of international remittances globally (a World Bank ranking from 2017 that has held steady). India, the Philippines, China, Pakistan, and Mexico are all among the top recipients of Canadian outflows. That's five of the top 10 currency pairs explained by remittance activity alone.
The concentration at the top is worth noting: USD/CAD and CAD/INR together account for 80.3% of all top-10 search volume.
The remaining eight pairs share just 19.7%. For anyone in the money transfer or currency exchange business, those two corridors are where the demand lives.
Frequently asked questions
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions on this topic:
Which currency pair do Canadians search for the most?
USD/CAD dominates with ~6.4 million monthly searches — roughly 65% of all top-10 volume. The U.S. accounts for ~76% of Canada's exports and is the most visited foreign destination, making the dollar-loonie rate a daily concern for businesses, travelers, and cross-border shoppers.
Why is CAD/INR the second most searched pair?
India is Canada's #1 source of immigrants and international students, with over 1.3 million Indian-origin Canadians as of the 2021 Census. Canada sends an estimated USD $4.5 billion in annual remittances to India (FY2024 data), and students regularly convert funds for tuition and living expenses — generating over 1.5 million monthly searches.
Are these search volumes from Google?
The volumes come from SEMrush's Canada database, which estimates monthly Google search volumes by keyword. We cross-referenced the data with Google Keyword Planner methodology and Google Trends for directional validation. Raw Google search logs are not publicly accessible, so industry-standard tools like SEMrush serve as the primary source.
Why do remittance corridors rank so high?
Canada's immigrant communities maintain active financial ties with their home countries. The Philippines, India, and Pakistan are among the top destinations for Canadian remittance outflows. Currency searches spike around paydays and before major cultural events (like Diwali, Eid, or Christmas) when family support transfers are common.
Does the ranking change seasonally?
MXN/CAD typically spikes in fall and winter as Canadians book Mexico vacations. EUR and GBP searches rise during the summer travel season. Remittance-driven pairs like INR, PHP, and PKR tend to be more consistent year-round, with smaller spikes around holidays and cultural celebrations.
References
- Google Finance — USD/CAD historical chart.
- IOM — Remittance Inflows to Pakistan, 2025 report.
- Bank of Canada — Monetary Policy Report, July 2025.
- SEMrush — Keyword research features and methodology.
- CFEC (Bank of Canada) — Canada FX Volume Survey, April 2025.
- World Bank / KNOMAD — Bilateral Remittance Matrix methodology.
- Global Affairs Canada — Chief Economist Annual Trade Report, 2024.
- World Bank — Remittance Prices Worldwide (Canada→China corridor).
- BIS — Triennial Central Bank Survey 2025: Global FX turnover and USD share.
- IRCC — Study permits and permanent residence data (India as top source country).
- Statistics Canada — Canada's international merchandise trade, 2024 (U.S. export/import share).
- Google Ads — Keyword Planner: how monthly search volume and forecasts work.
- World Bank — Remittance Prices Worldwide (Canada→Philippines corridor).
- World Bank — Remittance Prices Worldwide (Canada→India corridor).
- Statistics Canada — Languages spoken in Canada, 2025 infographic.
- RBC Investor Services — CAD FX volatility commentary, May 2025.
- CBIE — International students in Canada: facts and figures.
- Bank of Canada — Monetary Policy Report, January 2025
- Google Trends — Relative search interest for Canada.
- State Bank of Pakistan — Home remittance data.
- ValutaFX — USD/CAD 2025 history.
