GBP to JPY in August 2026: high, low, average
Updated September 26, 2026
The pound bought 215.06 Japanese yen on average in August 2026, based on cross rates calculated from 21 European Central Bank fixings. The month opened at its low of 211.05 on August 3, reached a high of 217.07 on August 25 and closed at 216.26. The pound gained 2.47% from first to last fixing.
Fifteen up days out of twenty-one
Few months are as one-directional as this one. The pound rose against the yen on 15 fixings and fell on only 6. The largest daily move came on the first day: a drop of 1.86% compared with the last fixing of July. From that low the rate climbed for most of the month, and the range from low to high reached 2.85%.
GBP/JPY in August 2026: every fixing
| Date | GBP/JPY rate |
|---|---|
| August 3 | 211.05 |
| August 4 | 211.66 |
| August 5 | 212.41 |
| August 6 | 212.55 |
| August 7 | 212.95 |
| August 10 | 214.23 |
| August 11 | 214.92 |
| August 12 | 215.18 |
| August 13 | 214.96 |
| August 14 | 215.25 |
| August 17 | 215.89 |
| August 18 | 216.01 |
| August 19 | 215.66 |
| August 20 | 216.33 |
| August 21 | 216.72 |
| August 24 | 216.95 |
| August 25 | 217.07 |
| August 26 | 216.81 |
| August 27 | 216.48 |
| August 28 | 216.89 |
| August 31 | 216.26 |
Against July 2026 and August 2025
| Month | Average GBP/JPY |
|---|---|
| August 2025 | 198.54 |
| July 2026 | 217.28 |
| August 2026 | 215.06 |
The August average was 1.02% below July's, because the month started from a much lower point. Compared with August 2025, the pound bought 8.32% more yen on average.
What the rate means for a UK traveller in Japan
A higher GBP/JPY number means more yen for each pound. For a British traveller, August 2026 offered better value than a year earlier by a wide margin, and within the month the best rates came in the second half. On August 25 each pound converted into 217.07 yen at the reference rate, against 211.05 on August 3.
If you are budgeting a trip, the difference between those two days is large enough to notice on hotel and rail costs. Exchanging part of your travel money at different points of the month, rather than all at once, spreads that risk.
For Japanese businesses buying in pounds
For a company in Japan paying a UK supplier, a rising GBP/JPY rate means each invoice costs more yen. The cheapest day in August to buy pounds was August 3. At the monthly average one yen was worth 0.0046502 pounds.
The pound to yen rate is a cross rate: the ECB publishes euro against pound and euro against yen, and the GBP/JPY figure is derived from the two on the same day. It will be close to, but not identical with, a rate quoted by a dealer at a specific minute.
Keep the margin in view
Exchange offices and card issuers quote their own rates. A pair that moves more than 2% in a month can make timing tempting, but a provider margin of a few percent can cancel any gain from waiting for a better day. Comparing the quoted rate with the reference fixing of the same day shows how large that margin is.
What to do
- Check the rate for your dates on the GBP/JPY daily rates for August 2026 page.
- Open GBP/JPY on the high day of the month to see the August 25 peak.
- Compare the rate on your card statement with the reference fixing of the same day.
- See GBP/JPY in 2026 for the monthly trend.
- Check the GBP to JPY exchange rate today and try the 100 GBP to JPY converter for quick sums.
Questions and answers
What was the average pound to yen rate in August 2026?
GBP/JPY averaged 215.06 yen per pound in August 2026, based on 21 ECB cross rates.
What was the highest GBP to JPY rate in August 2026?
The highest fixing was 217.07 yen on August 25, 2026. The lowest was 211.05 on August 3.
Was August 2026 a good time to exchange pounds for yen?
Compared with a year earlier it was: the August 2026 average of 215.06 was 8.32% above the August 2025 average of 198.54.