diff --git a/packages/core/src/i18n/locale_data_api.ts b/packages/core/src/i18n/locale_data_api.ts
index 4b5895637f..65ca68b99d 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/i18n/locale_data_api.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/i18n/locale_data_api.ts
@@ -63,6 +63,21 @@ export function findLocaleData(locale: string): any {
   throw new Error(`Missing locale data for the locale "${locale}".`);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Retrieves the default currency code for the given locale.
+ *
+ * The default is defined as the first currency which is still in use.
+ *
+ * @param locale The code of the locale whose currency code we want.
+ * @returns The code of the default currency for the given locale.
+ *
+ * @publicApi
+ */
+export function getLocaleCurrencyCode(locale: string): string|null {
+  const data = findLocaleData(locale);
+  return data[LocaleDataIndex.CurrencyCode] || null;
+}
+
 /**
  * Retrieves the plural function used by ICU expressions to determine the plural case to use
  * for a given locale.
@@ -116,6 +131,7 @@ export enum LocaleDataIndex {
   DateTimeFormat,
   NumberSymbols,
   NumberFormats,
+  CurrencyCode,
   CurrencySymbol,
   CurrencyName,
   Currencies,
diff --git a/packages/core/src/i18n/locale_en.ts b/packages/core/src/i18n/locale_en.ts
index 785c6d08e7..2e430b5575 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/i18n/locale_en.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/i18n/locale_en.ts
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ export default [
   ['{1}, {0}', u, '{1} \'at\' {0}', u],
   ['.', ',', ';', '%', '+', '-', 'E', '×', '‰', '∞', 'NaN', ':'],
   ['#,##0.###', '#,##0%', '¤#,##0.00', '#E0'],
+  'USD',
   '$',
   'US Dollar',
   {},
diff --git a/packages/core/test/i18n/locale_data_api_spec.ts b/packages/core/test/i18n/locale_data_api_spec.ts
index 9121e3b2cb..3c995a61d3 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/i18n/locale_data_api_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/i18n/locale_data_api_spec.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
  * Use of this source code is governed by an MIT-style license that can be
  * found in the LICENSE file at https://angular.io/license
  */
-import {findLocaleData, registerLocaleData, unregisterAllLocaleData} from '../../src/i18n/locale_data_api';
+import {LocaleDataIndex, findLocaleData, getLocaleCurrencyCode, registerLocaleData, unregisterAllLocaleData} from '../../src/i18n/locale_data_api';
 import {global} from '../../src/util/global';
 
 {
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import {global} from '../../src/util/global';
     const localeDeCH: any[] = ['de-CH'];
     const localeEn: any[] = ['en'];
     const localeFr: any[] = ['fr'];
+    localeFr[LocaleDataIndex.CurrencyCode] = 'EUR';
     const localeFrCA: any[] = ['fr-CA'];
     const localeZh: any[] = ['zh'];
     const localeEnAU: any[] = ['en-AU'];
@@ -81,5 +82,13 @@ import {global} from '../../src/util/global';
       it('should find the registered LOCALE_DATA even if the same locale is on the global object',
          () => { expect(findLocaleData('fr')).not.toBe(fakeGlobalFr); });
     });
+
+    describe('getLocaleCurrencyCode()', () => {
+      it('should return `null` if the given locale does not provide a currency code',
+         () => { expect(getLocaleCurrencyCode('de')).toBe(null); });
+
+      it('should return the code at the `LocaleDataIndex.CurrencyCode` of the given locale`s data',
+         () => { expect(getLocaleCurrencyCode('fr')).toEqual('EUR'); });
+    });
   });
 }
diff --git a/tools/gulp-tasks/cldr/extract.js b/tools/gulp-tasks/cldr/extract.js
index 81c89e795f..084c50e21c 100644
--- a/tools/gulp-tasks/cldr/extract.js
+++ b/tools/gulp-tasks/cldr/extract.js
@@ -97,8 +97,8 @@ module.exports = (gulp, done) => {
 
   console.log(`All i18n cldr files have been generated, formatting files..."`);
   shelljs.exec(
-    `yarn clang-format -i ${I18N_DATA_FOLDER}/**/*.ts ${I18N_DATA_FOLDER}/*.ts ${I18N_FOLDER}/currencies.ts ${I18N_CORE_FOLDER}/locale_en.ts ${I18N_GLOBAL_FOLDER}/*.js`,
-    {silent: true});
+      `yarn clang-format -i ${I18N_DATA_FOLDER}/**/*.ts ${I18N_DATA_FOLDER}/*.ts ${I18N_FOLDER}/currencies.ts ${I18N_CORE_FOLDER}/locale_en.ts ${I18N_GLOBAL_FOLDER}/*.js`,
+      {silent: true});
   done();
 };
 
@@ -149,16 +149,19 @@ function generateGlobalLocale(locale, localeData, baseCurrencies) {
  * Collect up the basic locale data [ localeId, dateTime, number, currency, pluralCase ].
  */
 function generateBasicLocaleString(locale, localeData, baseCurrencies) {
-  let data =
-      stringify(
-          [
-            locale, ...getDateTimeTranslations(localeData), ...getDateTimeSettings(localeData),
-            ...getNumberSettings(localeData), ...getCurrencySettings(locale, localeData),
-            generateLocaleCurrencies(localeData, baseCurrencies), getDirectionality(localeData),
-          ],
-          true)
-          // We remove "undefined" added by spreading arrays when there is no value
-          .replace(/undefined/g, 'u');
+  let data = stringify(
+                 [
+                   locale,
+                   ...getDateTimeTranslations(localeData),
+                   ...getDateTimeSettings(localeData),
+                   ...getNumberSettings(localeData),
+                   ...getCurrencySettings(locale, localeData),
+                   generateLocaleCurrencies(localeData, baseCurrencies),
+                   getDirectionality(localeData),
+                 ],
+                 true)
+                 // We remove "undefined" added by spreading arrays when there is no value
+                 .replace(/undefined/g, 'u');
 
   // adding plural function after, because we don't want it as a string
   data = data.replace(/\]$/, ', plural]');
@@ -495,8 +498,8 @@ function getNumberSettings(localeData) {
 }
 
 /**
- * Returns the currency symbol and name for a locale
- * @returns [ symbol, name ]
+ * Returns the currency code, symbol and name for a locale
+ * @returns [ code, symbol, name ]
  */
 function getCurrencySettings(locale, localeData) {
   const currencyInfo = localeData.main(`numbers/currencies`);
@@ -523,11 +526,13 @@ function getCurrencySettings(locale, localeData) {
     }
   }
 
-  let currencySettings = [undefined, undefined];
+  let currencySettings = [undefined, undefined, undefined];
 
   if (currentCurrency) {
-    currencySettings =
-        [currencyInfo[currentCurrency].symbol, currencyInfo[currentCurrency].displayName];
+    currencySettings = [
+      currentCurrency, currencyInfo[currentCurrency].symbol,
+      currencyInfo[currentCurrency].displayName
+    ];
   }
 
   return currencySettings;