Reserves in months of imports — all countries

Reserves in months of imports — High-income countries

Reserves in months of imports in high-income countries in 2023 — 3.81 months. Since 2014, the indicator has fallen by 4.2%.

2023 3.81 months +2.86% vs 2022
World rank
Period maximum 5.27 months2020
Period minimum 3.71 months2022

Trend over time

2014–2023 · months of imports

Reserves in months of imports — High-income countries, 2014–20233.544.555.520142015201620172018201920202021202220232014: 3.98 months2015: 4.26 months2016: 4.35 months2017: 4.29 months2018: 3.93 months2019: 4.19 months2020: 5.27 months2021: 4.6 months2022: 3.71 months2023: 3.81 months
Change over the period: −0.17 (−4.21%) Average annual rate: -0.48 %

Comparison, 2023

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: High-income countries

High-income countries 3.81 months
World 9.25 months
Reserves in months of imports — High-income countries, by year High-income countries All countries CSV XLSX
Year months Change Change, %
2023 3.81 +0.11 +2.86%
2022 3.71 −0.89 −19.39%
2021 4.6 −0.67 −12.72%
2020 5.27 +1.08 +25.77%
2019 4.19 +0.26 +6.7%
2018 3.93 −0.36 −8.36%
2017 4.29 −0.06 −1.41%
2016 4.35 +0.09 +2.03%
2015 4.26 +0.28 +7%
2014 3.98

About the indicator

The ratio of international reserves to average monthly imports of goods and services. The commonly accepted minimum benchmark of adequacy is three months of imports; below that level a country becomes vulnerable to external shocks and to a halt in the inflow of capital.

Important: The aggregate is weighted by imports: all of the reserves of a group divided by its average monthly imports. Weighting by population or GDP will not do here — imports are precisely what stands in the denominator of the indicator.

Source: World Economic Outlook (IMF), license IMF open data.