Reserves in months of imports — all countries

Reserves in months of imports — Eastern Africa

Reserves in months of imports in Eastern Africa in 2023 — 2.73 months. Since 2011, the indicator has fallen by 13.9%.

2023 2.73 months +7.28% vs 2022
World rank
Period maximum 3.9 months2020
Period minimum 2.54 months2022

Trend over time

2011–2023 · months of imports

Reserves in months of imports — Eastern Africa, 2011–20232.533.5420112013201520172019202120232011: 3.17 months2012: 3.12 months2013: 3.07 months2014: 3.15 months2015: 3.3 months2016: 3.5 months2017: 3.35 months2018: 3.28 months2019: 3.37 months2020: 3.9 months2021: 3.71 months2022: 2.54 months2023: 2.73 months
Change over the period: −0.44 (−13.9%) Average annual rate: -1.24 %

Comparison, 2023

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Eastern Africa

Eastern Africa 2.73 months
World 9.25 months
Reserves in months of imports — Eastern Africa, by year Eastern Africa All countries CSV XLSX
Year months Change Change, %
2023 2.73 +0.19 +7.28%
2022 2.54 −1.17 −31.48%
2021 3.71 −0.19 −4.85%
2020 3.9 +0.53 +15.64%
2019 3.37 +0.09 +2.78%
2018 3.28 −0.07 −1.98%
2017 3.35 −0.15 −4.32%
2016 3.5 +0.19 +5.84%
2015 3.3 +0.16 +5.01%
2014 3.15 +0.07 +2.38%
2013 3.07 −0.04 −1.39%
2012 3.12 −0.05 −1.58%
2011 3.17

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.