Reserve Bank of Australia Balance Sheet Share of GDP (Australia) - Historical Data
Total assets of the Reserve Bank of Australia expressed as a percentage of Australia nominal Gross Domestic Product from 1959 to 2026. As of 2026 Q1, Reserve Bank of Australia assets represent 12.94% of GDP, versus a record high of 28.57% in 2021 Q4.
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Current Statistics & Historical Records
Latest Reading (2026 Q1)
12.94%
Prev (2025 Q4): 13.27%-0.33 pp
Highest Recorded (2021 Q4)
28.57%
Peak Reserve Bank of Australia balance sheet expansion as a percentage of Australia nominal GDP.
Lowest Recorded (2011 Q3)
5.14%
Lowest recorded Reserve Bank of Australia total assets relative to Australia GDP.
Long-Run Mean (1959–2026)
9.88%
68 annual observations · Quarterly
Reserve Bank of Australia · AUD
Reserve Bank of Australia Balance Sheet Share of GDP (Australia) (1959-2026)
Drag to pan, scroll to zoom, or toggle between full archive (1959–2026) and recent quarterly observations.
Source: Bank for International Settlements (BIS) (WS_CBTA:Q:AU:B:XDF_R_B1GQ:_Z:B)
Latest: 12.94% (2026 Q1)
RBA Assets (% GDP) Averages by Decade
Decadal mean, peak, and trough across the 1959–2026 archive
| Decade | Years Covered | Decade Mean | Decade High (Year) | Decade Low (Year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 1959–1959 | 13.17% | 13.17% (1959) | 13.17% (1959) |
| 1960s | 1960–1969 | 10.86% | 13.24% (1961) | 8.34% (1969) |
| 1970s | 1970–1979 | 8.81% | 11.43% (1972) | 7.83% (1970) |
| 1980s | 1980–1989 | 8.21% | 9.34% (1986) | 6.51% (1989) |
| 1990s | 1990–1999 | 7.57% | 8.34% (1996) | 6.57% (1994) |
| 2000s | 2000–2009 | 8.89% | 13.01% (2008) | 6.98% (2009) |
| 2010s | 2010–2019 | 8.39% | 10.16% (2016) | 5.70% (2010) |
| 2020s | 2020–2026 | 18.81% | 28.57% (2021) | 12.94% (2026) |
Complete Annual Historical Ledger (1959–2026)
Unit: % of GDP · Source: Bank for International Settlements (BIS) (WS_CBTA:Q:AU:B:XDF_R_B1GQ:_Z:B)
| Year | Annual Value (% of GDP) | Intra-Year Range (Min – Max) | Monetary Regime & Historical Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 12.94% | 12.94% – 12.94% | - |
| 2025 | 13.27% | 13.27% – 15.48% | Post-tightening monetary recalibration across advanced and emerging central banks |
| 2024 | 15.34% | 15.34% – 19.77% | G10 policy rates peak and pivot toward gradual monetary normalization |
| 2023 | 20.19% | 20.19% – 24.86% | - |
| 2022 | 25.13% | 25.13% – 27.57% | Global inflation surge triggers fastest synchronized rate hiking cycle in four decades |
| 2021 | 28.57% | 19.90% – 28.57% | - |
| 2020 | 16.25% | 13.52% – 16.25% | COVID-19 pandemic emergency rate cuts and record balance sheet expansion |
| 2019 | 8.86% | 8.83% – 9.30% | - |
| 2018 | 9.47% | 9.47% – 10.08% | - |
| 2017 | 10.10% | 9.56% – 11.00% | - |
| 2016 | 10.16% | 9.53% – 10.16% | Bank of Japan introduces Yield Curve Control (YCC); post-Brexit BoE easing |
| 2015 | 9.38% | 9.32% – 10.04% | - |
| 2014 | 9.26% | 8.29% – 9.42% | ECB and European peers introduce Negative Interest Rate Policy (NIRP) |
| 2013 | 8.58% | 6.08% – 8.58% | - |
| 2012 | 6.27% | 5.61% – 6.27% | - |
| 2011 | 6.08% | 5.14% – 6.08% | European Sovereign Debt Crisis and Swiss franc safe-haven surge |
| 2010 | 5.70% | 5.57% – 6.93% | - |
| 2009 | 6.98% | 6.98% – 9.65% | - |
| 2008 | 13.01% | 7.75% – 13.01% | Global Financial Crisis drives major central banks to the zero lower bound and QE1 |
| 2007 | 8.18% | 8.18% – 12.32% | - |
| 2006 | 11.05% | 9.39% – 11.05% | - |
| 2005 | 9.20% | 7.76% – 9.30% | - |
| 2004 | 7.92% | 7.66% – 8.78% | - |
| 2003 | 7.83% | 7.74% – 8.44% | - |
| 2002 | 8.04% | 7.65% – 8.04% | - |
| 2001 | 8.45% | 8.23% – 8.59% | Dot-com bust and synchronized G10 monetary easing cycle |
| 2000 | 8.24% | 7.61% – 8.24% | - |
| 1999 | 8.05% | 7.00% – 8.05% | Launch of the Euro and establishment of the European Central Bank (ECB) |
| 1998 | 8.09% | 7.43% – 8.27% | - |
| 1997 | 7.68% | 7.63% – 8.77% | Asian Financial Crisis triggers emergency EM currency defense hikes |
| 1996 | 8.34% | 6.70% – 8.34% | - |
| 1995 | 7.30% | 6.64% – 7.37% | - |
| 1994 | 6.57% | 6.57% – 7.50% | Global bond market selloff and pre-emptive Federal Reserve tightening cycle |
| 1993 | 7.77% | 7.48% – 8.18% | - |
| 1992 | 7.88% | 7.30% – 7.88% | European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM) crisis and Black Wednesday |
| 1991 | 7.16% | 6.76% – 7.16% | - |
| 1990 | 6.82% | 6.22% – 6.82% | German reunification tightening and Japanese asset bubble peak |
| 1989 | 6.51% | 6.47% – 6.84% | - |
| 1988 | 7.12% | 7.12% – 8.10% | - |
| 1987 | 8.53% | 8.53% – 9.26% | Louvre Accord and Black Monday central bank liquidity provision |
| 1986 | 9.34% | 8.64% – 9.34% | - |
| 1985 | 8.73% | 8.60% – 8.86% | Plaza Accord coordinated G5 currency intervention depreciates USD |
| 1984 | 8.15% | 7.83% – 8.33% | - |
| 1983 | 9.04% | 8.13% – 9.04% | - |
| 1982 | 7.88% | 7.13% – 7.88% | - |
| 1981 | 7.64% | 7.38% – 8.17% | Volcker disinflation peak pushes benchmark policy rates to postwar highs |
| 1980 | 9.16% | 8.48% – 10.05% | - |
| 1979 | 8.72% | 7.96% – 8.74% | Second oil shock; Paul Volcker appointed Federal Reserve Chair |
| 1978 | 7.97% | 7.97% – 8.78% | - |
| 1977 | 8.79% | 8.05% – 8.79% | - |
| 1976 | 8.44% | 6.99% – 8.44% | - |
| 1975 | 8.11% | 6.85% – 8.11% | - |
| 1974 | 7.84% | 7.84% – 10.56% | First OPEC oil shock triggers global stagflation and steep policy rate hikes |
| 1973 | 10.29% | 10.29% – 11.91% | - |
| 1972 | 11.43% | 9.55% – 11.43% | - |
| 1971 | 8.71% | 8.14% – 8.81% | Nixon Shock suspends USD gold convertibility; Bretton Woods system ends |
| 1970 | 7.83% | 7.81% – 8.31% | - |
| 1969 | 8.34% | 7.97% – 8.34% | - |
| 1968 | 8.41% | 8.41% – 8.41% | - |
| 1967 | 9.25% | 9.25% – 9.25% | - |
| 1966 | 9.60% | 9.60% – 9.60% | Credit crunch of 1966 and monetary tightening |
| 1965 | 11.09% | 11.09% – 11.09% | - |
| 1964 | 11.90% | 11.90% – 11.90% | - |
| 1963 | 11.53% | 11.53% – 11.53% | - |
| 1962 | 12.23% | 12.23% – 12.23% | - |
| 1961 | 13.24% | 13.24% – 13.24% | - |
| 1960 | 12.96% | 12.96% – 12.96% | - |
| 1959 | 13.17% | 13.17% – 13.17% | - |
Frequently Asked Questions - RBA Assets (% GDP)
What percentage of Australia GDP is held on the Reserve Bank of Australia balance sheet?
As of 2026 Q1, Reserve Bank of Australia total assets equal 12.94% of Australia nominal GDP. Across 1959-2026, the long-run average is 9.88% of GDP.
Statistical Provenance
Source Metadata & Methodology Notes
- Primary Institution:
- Bank for International Settlements (BIS)
- Dataset / Dataflow:
- BIS Central Bank Total Assets Ratio to GDP (WS_CBTA)
- Canonical Series ID:
- WS_CBTA:Q:AU:B:XDF_R_B1GQ:_Z:B
- Reuse & License:
- Terms of permitted use of BIS statistics
- Compiling agencies: Reserve Bank of Australia; Bank for International Settlements.
- Ratio of break-adjusted central bank total assets in domestic currency to nominal annual GDP (UNIT_MEASURE=XDF_R_B1GQ).
- Allows direct structural comparison of central bank balance sheet footprint across economies of different sizes.
Academic & Media Attribution
Cite This Dataset (APA & BibTeX)
APA 7th Edition
CentralBankData.com. (2026). Reserve Bank of Australia Balance Sheet Share of GDP (Australia), compiled from Bank for International Settlements (WS_CBTA:Q:AU:B:XDF_R_B1GQ:_Z:B). https://centralbankdata.com/rba-balance-sheet-share-of-gdp
BibTeX
@misc{cbd_cbta_gdp_australia,
author = {CentralBankData.com},
title = {Reserve Bank of Australia Balance Sheet Share of GDP (Australia)},
note = {Compiled from Bank for International Settlements WS_CBTA:Q:AU:B:XDF_R_B1GQ:_Z:B},
year = {2026},
url = {https://centralbankdata.com/rba-balance-sheet-share-of-gdp}
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