South Africa Foreign Exchange & Gold Reserves (USD) - Historical Data
Total official international reserves of South Africa (South African Reserve Bank), comprising monetary gold valued at year-end London market prices, convertible foreign exchange reserves, Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), and IMF reserve positions from 1960 to 2025. Latest reserve holdings stand at $76.02 billion USD (2025).
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Current Statistics & Historical Records
Latest Reading (2025)
$76.02B
Prev (2024): $65.43B+$10.59B
Highest Recorded (2025)
$76.02B
Peak foreign exchange and gold reserves held by South Africa.
Lowest Recorded (1960)
$0.27B
Lowest recorded official international reserve holdings for South Africa.
Long-Run Mean (1960–2025)
$17.84B
66 annual observations · Annual
South African Reserve Bank · ZAR
South Africa Foreign Exchange & Gold Reserves (USD) (1960-2025)
USD BillionsDrag to pan, scroll to zoom, or toggle between full archive (1960–2025) and recent annual observations.
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Source: World Bank Open Data & International Monetary Fund (IFS) (WB:FI.RES.TOTL.CD:ZAF)
Latest: $76.02B (2025)
South Africa FX Reserves ($B) Averages by Decade
Decadal mean, peak, and trough across the 1960–2025 archive
| Decade | Years Covered | Decade Mean | Decade High (Year) | Decade Low (Year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1960–1969 | $0.81B | $1.72B (1968) | $0.27B (1960) |
| 1970s | 1970–1979 | $2.53B | $5.57B (1979) | $0.78B (1971) |
| 1980s | 1980–1989 | $3.45B | $7.89B (1980) | $1.90B (1985) |
| 1990s | 1990–1999 | $4.09B | $7.50B (1999) | $2.34B (1996) |
| 2000s | 2000–2009 | $19.90B | $39.60B (2009) | $7.63B (2001) |
| 2010s | 2010–2019 | $49.26B | $55.06B (2019) | $43.82B (2010) |
| 2020s | 2020–2025 | $62.85B | $76.02B (2025) | $55.01B (2020) |
Complete Annual Historical Ledger (1960–2025)
Unit: USD Billions · Source: World Bank Open Data & International Monetary Fund (IFS) (WB:FI.RES.TOTL.CD:ZAF)
| Year | Annual Value (USD Billions) | Intra-Year Range (Min – Max) | Monetary Regime & Historical Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $76.02B | $76.02B – $76.02B | Post-tightening monetary recalibration across advanced and emerging central banks |
| 2024 | $65.43B | $65.43B – $65.43B | G10 policy rates peak and pivot toward gradual monetary normalization |
| 2023 | $62.49B | $62.49B – $62.49B | - |
| 2022 | $60.55B | $60.55B – $60.55B | Global inflation surge triggers fastest synchronized rate hiking cycle in four decades |
| 2021 | $57.60B | $57.60B – $57.60B | - |
| 2020 | $55.01B | $55.01B – $55.01B | COVID-19 pandemic emergency rate cuts and record balance sheet expansion |
| 2019 | $55.06B | $55.06B – $55.06B | - |
| 2018 | $51.64B | $51.64B – $51.64B | - |
| 2017 | $50.72B | $50.72B – $50.72B | - |
| 2016 | $47.18B | $47.18B – $47.18B | Bank of Japan introduces Yield Curve Control (YCC); post-Brexit BoE easing |
| 2015 | $45.89B | $45.89B – $45.89B | - |
| 2014 | $49.12B | $49.12B – $49.12B | ECB and European peers introduce Negative Interest Rate Policy (NIRP) |
| 2013 | $49.71B | $49.71B – $49.71B | - |
| 2012 | $50.69B | $50.69B – $50.69B | - |
| 2011 | $48.75B | $48.75B – $48.75B | European Sovereign Debt Crisis and Swiss franc safe-haven surge |
| 2010 | $43.82B | $43.82B – $43.82B | - |
| 2009 | $39.60B | $39.60B – $39.60B | - |
| 2008 | $34.07B | $34.07B – $34.07B | Global Financial Crisis drives major central banks to the zero lower bound and QE1 |
| 2007 | $32.92B | $32.92B – $32.92B | - |
| 2006 | $25.59B | $25.59B – $25.59B | - |
| 2005 | $20.62B | $20.62B – $20.62B | - |
| 2004 | $14.89B | $14.89B – $14.89B | - |
| 2003 | $8.15B | $8.15B – $8.15B | - |
| 2002 | $7.82B | $7.82B – $7.82B | - |
| 2001 | $7.63B | $7.63B – $7.63B | Dot-com bust and synchronized G10 monetary easing cycle |
| 2000 | $7.70B | $7.70B – $7.70B | - |
| 1999 | $7.50B | $7.50B – $7.50B | Launch of the Euro and establishment of the European Central Bank (ECB) |
| 1998 | $5.51B | $5.51B – $5.51B | - |
| 1997 | $5.96B | $5.96B – $5.96B | Asian Financial Crisis triggers emergency EM currency defense hikes |
| 1996 | $2.34B | $2.34B – $2.34B | - |
| 1995 | $4.46B | $4.46B – $4.46B | - |
| 1994 | $3.29B | $3.29B – $3.29B | Global bond market selloff and pre-emptive Federal Reserve tightening cycle |
| 1993 | $2.88B | $2.88B – $2.88B | - |
| 1992 | $3.21B | $3.21B – $3.21B | European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM) crisis and Black Wednesday |
| 1991 | $3.19B | $3.19B – $3.19B | - |
| 1990 | $2.58B | $2.58B – $2.58B | German reunification tightening and Japanese asset bubble peak |
| 1989 | $2.19B | $2.19B – $2.19B | - |
| 1988 | $2.20B | $2.20B – $2.20B | - |
| 1987 | $3.46B | $3.46B – $3.46B | Louvre Accord and Black Monday central bank liquidity provision |
| 1986 | $2.25B | $2.25B – $2.25B | - |
| 1985 | $1.90B | $1.90B – $1.90B | Plaza Accord coordinated G5 currency intervention depreciates USD |
| 1984 | $2.51B | $2.51B – $2.51B | - |
| 1983 | $3.79B | $3.79B – $3.79B | - |
| 1982 | $3.94B | $3.94B – $3.94B | - |
| 1981 | $4.36B | $4.36B – $4.36B | Volcker disinflation peak pushes benchmark policy rates to postwar highs |
| 1980 | $7.89B | $7.89B – $7.89B | - |
| 1979 | $5.57B | $5.57B – $5.57B | Second oil shock; Paul Volcker appointed Federal Reserve Chair |
| 1978 | $2.64B | $2.64B – $2.64B | - |
| 1977 | $2.02B | $2.02B – $2.02B | - |
| 1976 | $2.13B | $2.13B – $2.13B | - |
| 1975 | $2.98B | $2.98B – $2.98B | - |
| 1974 | $3.78B | $3.78B – $3.78B | First OPEC oil shock triggers global stagflation and steep policy rate hikes |
| 1973 | $2.58B | $2.58B – $2.58B | - |
| 1972 | $1.77B | $1.77B – $1.77B | - |
| 1971 | $0.78B | $0.78B – $0.78B | Nixon Shock suspends USD gold convertibility; Bretton Woods system ends |
| 1970 | $1.06B | $1.06B – $1.06B | - |
| 1969 | $1.40B | $1.40B – $1.40B | - |
| 1968 | $1.72B | $1.72B – $1.72B | - |
| 1967 | $0.78B | $0.78B – $0.78B | - |
| 1966 | $0.83B | $0.83B – $0.83B | Credit crunch of 1966 and monetary tightening |
| 1965 | $0.60B | $0.60B – $0.60B | - |
| 1964 | $0.71B | $0.71B – $0.71B | - |
| 1963 | $0.77B | $0.77B – $0.77B | - |
| 1962 | $0.65B | $0.65B – $0.65B | - |
| 1961 | $0.39B | $0.39B – $0.39B | - |
| 1960 | $0.27B | $0.27B – $0.27B | - |
Frequently Asked Questions - South Africa FX Reserves ($B)
How much in foreign exchange and gold reserves does South Africa hold?
As of 2025, South Africa holds $76.02 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:ZAF
- 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). South Africa Foreign Exchange & Gold Reserves (USD), compiled from World Bank & IMF International Financial Statistics (FI.RES.TOTL.CD, CC BY 4.0). https://centralbankdata.com/south-africa-foreign-exchange-reserves
BibTeX
@misc{cbd_reserves_south_africa,
author = {CentralBankData.com},
title = {South Africa 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/south-africa-foreign-exchange-reserves}
}Related South African Reserve Bank & Global Series
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