China Foreign Exchange & Gold Reserves (USD) - Historical Data
Total official international reserves of China (People's Bank of China), comprising monetary gold valued at year-end London market prices, convertible foreign exchange reserves, Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), and IMF reserve positions from 1977 to 2025. Latest reserve holdings stand at $3,748.74 billion USD (2025).
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Current Statistics & Historical Records
Latest Reading (2025)
$3,748.74B
Prev (2024): $3,456.02B+$292.72B
Highest Recorded (2014)
$3,900.04B
Peak foreign exchange and gold reserves held by China.
Lowest Recorded (1978)
$4.45B
Lowest recorded official international reserve holdings for China.
Long-Run Mean (1977–2025)
$1,323.72B
49 annual observations · Annual
People's Bank of China · CNY
China Foreign Exchange & Gold Reserves (USD) (1977-2025)
USD BillionsDrag to pan, scroll to zoom, or toggle between full archive (1977–2025) and recent annual observations.
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Source: World Bank Open Data & International Monetary Fund (IFS) (WB:FI.RES.TOTL.CD:CHN)
Latest: $3,748.74B (2025)
China FX Reserves ($B) Averages by Decade
Decadal mean, peak, and trough across the 1977–2025 archive
| Decade | Years Covered | Decade Mean | Decade High (Year) | Decade Low (Year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1977–1979 | $5.87B | $8.71B (1979) | $4.45B (1978) |
| 1980s | 1980–1989 | $18.10B | $23.75B (1988) | $10.09B (1980) |
| 1990s | 1990–1999 | $84.53B | $161.41B (1999) | $24.85B (1992) |
| 2000s | 2000–2009 | $960.62B | $2,452.90B (2009) | $171.76B (2000) |
| 2010s | 2010–2019 | $3,346.60B | $3,900.04B (2014) | $2,913.71B (2010) |
| 2020s | 2020–2025 | $3,457.72B | $3,748.74B (2025) | $3,306.84B (2022) |
Complete Annual Historical Ledger (1977–2025)
Unit: USD Billions · Source: World Bank Open Data & International Monetary Fund (IFS) (WB:FI.RES.TOTL.CD:CHN)
| Year | Annual Value (USD Billions) | Intra-Year Range (Min – Max) | Monetary Regime & Historical Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,748.74B | $3,748.74B – $3,748.74B | Post-tightening monetary recalibration across advanced and emerging central banks |
| 2024 | $3,456.02B | $3,456.02B – $3,456.02B | G10 policy rates peak and pivot toward gradual monetary normalization |
| 2023 | $3,449.54B | $3,449.54B – $3,449.54B | - |
| 2022 | $3,306.84B | $3,306.84B – $3,306.84B | Global inflation surge triggers fastest synchronized rate hiking cycle in four decades |
| 2021 | $3,427.93B | $3,427.93B – $3,427.93B | - |
| 2020 | $3,357.24B | $3,357.24B – $3,357.24B | COVID-19 pandemic emergency rate cuts and record balance sheet expansion |
| 2019 | $3,222.89B | $3,222.89B – $3,222.89B | - |
| 2018 | $3,168.22B | $3,168.22B – $3,168.22B | - |
| 2017 | $3,235.68B | $3,235.68B – $3,235.68B | - |
| 2016 | $3,097.66B | $3,097.66B – $3,097.66B | Bank of Japan introduces Yield Curve Control (YCC); post-Brexit BoE easing |
| 2015 | $3,405.25B | $3,405.25B – $3,405.25B | - |
| 2014 | $3,900.04B | $3,900.04B – $3,900.04B | ECB and European peers introduce Negative Interest Rate Policy (NIRP) |
| 2013 | $3,880.37B | $3,880.37B – $3,880.37B | - |
| 2012 | $3,387.51B | $3,387.51B – $3,387.51B | - |
| 2011 | $3,254.67B | $3,254.67B – $3,254.67B | European Sovereign Debt Crisis and Swiss franc safe-haven surge |
| 2010 | $2,913.71B | $2,913.71B – $2,913.71B | - |
| 2009 | $2,452.90B | $2,452.90B – $2,452.90B | - |
| 2008 | $1,966.04B | $1,966.04B – $1,966.04B | Global Financial Crisis drives major central banks to the zero lower bound and QE1 |
| 2007 | $1,546.36B | $1,546.36B – $1,546.36B | - |
| 2006 | $1,080.76B | $1,080.76B – $1,080.76B | - |
| 2005 | $831.41B | $831.41B – $831.41B | - |
| 2004 | $622.95B | $622.95B – $622.95B | - |
| 2003 | $416.20B | $416.20B – $416.20B | - |
| 2002 | $297.74B | $297.74B – $297.74B | - |
| 2001 | $220.06B | $220.06B – $220.06B | Dot-com bust and synchronized G10 monetary easing cycle |
| 2000 | $171.76B | $171.76B – $171.76B | - |
| 1999 | $161.41B | $161.41B – $161.41B | Launch of the Euro and establishment of the European Central Bank (ECB) |
| 1998 | $152.84B | $152.84B – $152.84B | - |
| 1997 | $146.45B | $146.45B – $146.45B | Asian Financial Crisis triggers emergency EM currency defense hikes |
| 1996 | $111.73B | $111.73B – $111.73B | - |
| 1995 | $80.29B | $80.29B – $80.29B | - |
| 1994 | $57.78B | $57.78B – $57.78B | Global bond market selloff and pre-emptive Federal Reserve tightening cycle |
| 1993 | $27.35B | $27.35B – $27.35B | - |
| 1992 | $24.85B | $24.85B – $24.85B | European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM) crisis and Black Wednesday |
| 1991 | $48.17B | $48.17B – $48.17B | - |
| 1990 | $34.48B | $34.48B – $34.48B | German reunification tightening and Japanese asset bubble peak |
| 1989 | $23.05B | $23.05B – $23.05B | - |
| 1988 | $23.75B | $23.75B – $23.75B | - |
| 1987 | $22.45B | $22.45B – $22.45B | Louvre Accord and Black Monday central bank liquidity provision |
| 1986 | $16.42B | $16.42B – $16.42B | - |
| 1985 | $16.88B | $16.88B – $16.88B | Plaza Accord coordinated G5 currency intervention depreciates USD |
| 1984 | $21.28B | $21.28B – $21.28B | - |
| 1983 | $19.83B | $19.83B – $19.83B | - |
| 1982 | $17.15B | $17.15B – $17.15B | - |
| 1981 | $10.11B | $10.11B – $10.11B | Volcker disinflation peak pushes benchmark policy rates to postwar highs |
| 1980 | $10.09B | $10.09B – $10.09B | - |
| 1979 | $8.71B | $8.71B – $8.71B | Second oil shock; Paul Volcker appointed Federal Reserve Chair |
| 1978 | $4.45B | $4.45B – $4.45B | - |
| 1977 | $4.46B | $4.46B – $4.46B | - |
Frequently Asked Questions - China FX Reserves ($B)
How much in foreign exchange and gold reserves does China hold?
As of 2025, China holds $3,748.74 billion USD in total international reserves (including monetary gold and foreign exchange).
Statistical Provenance
Source Metadata & Methodology Notes
- Primary Institution:
- World Bank Open Data & International Monetary Fund (IFS)
- Dataset / Dataflow:
- World Development Indicators: Total Reserves Including Gold (FI.RES.TOTL.CD)
- Canonical Series ID:
- WB:FI.RES.TOTL.CD:CHN
- Reuse & License:
- Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
- Holdings of monetary gold (valued at year-end London prices), Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), reserves of IMF members held by the IMF, and holdings of foreign exchange under the control of monetary authorities.
- Values are converted from current US dollars to billions of US dollars ($10^9$).
- Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) via World Bank Development Indicators.
Academic & Media Attribution
Cite This Dataset (APA & BibTeX)
APA 7th Edition
CentralBankData.com. (2025). China Foreign Exchange & Gold Reserves (USD), compiled from World Bank & IMF International Financial Statistics (FI.RES.TOTL.CD, CC BY 4.0). https://centralbankdata.com/china-foreign-exchange-reserves
BibTeX
@misc{cbd_reserves_china,
author = {CentralBankData.com},
title = {China Foreign Exchange and Gold Reserves},
note = {Compiled from World Bank and IMF IFS FI.RES.TOTL.CD (CC BY 4.0)},
year = {2025},
url = {https://centralbankdata.com/china-foreign-exchange-reserves}
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