Total reserves in months of imports in China

China: Total reserves in months of imports was 11.94 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
11.94
Change on year
up 8.4%
World rank
13th
of 178 countries
All-time high
25.39
in 2009
All-time low
3.15
in 1993
Years of data
44
1982–2025

Total reserves in months of imports in China, 1982–2025

5101520251982200320251982: 10.51983: 11.31984: 9.41985: 4.91986: 5.21987: 6.71988: 5.51989: 5.11990: 8.51991: 10.11992: 3.81993: 3.21994: 5.91995: 6.31996: 7.71997: 15.41998: 15.31999: 13.62000: 10.92001: 12.62002: 15.32003: 11.42004: 12.92005: 14.22006: 15.42007: 18.12008: 19.12009: 25.42010: 21.82011: 19.12012: 19.12013: 19.52014: 192015: 17.92016: 16.72017: 15.42018: 13.12019: 13.62020: 14.52021: 11.52022: 112023: 11.42024: 112025: 11.9

Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Analysis

In 2025, total reserves in months of imports in China stood at 11.94.

That represents a change of up 8.4% on the previous year and down 33.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, total reserves in months of imports in China peaked at 25.39 in 2009 and was at its lowest, 3.15, in 1993.

China ranks 13th of 178 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 44 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 7.34 4.9 11.33 8
1990s 8.97 3.15 15.36 10
2000s 15.54 10.94 25.39 10
2010s 17.54 13.14 21.83 10
2020s 11.9 11.02 14.5 6

Countries ranked near China

  1. 10 Nepal 12.97 compare
  2. 11 Vanuatu 12.6 compare
  3. 12 Samoa 12.37 compare
  4. 14 Syria 11.66 compare
  5. 15 Iraq 11.21 compare
  6. 16 Tonga 10.8 compare

See the full ranking of 225 places →

More financial sector data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is total reserves in months of imports in China?
Total reserves in months of imports in China was 11.94 in 2025, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest total reserves in months of imports recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 25.39 in 2009.
What is the lowest total reserves in months of imports recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 3.15 in 1993.
How does China rank for total reserves in months of imports?
China ranks 13th out of 178 countries with data for 2025.
Is total reserves in months of imports rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is down 33.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Total reserves in months of imports. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 44 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

About this data

Indicator
Total reserves in months of imports
Source
International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
225 places, 9,249 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Reserve assets are external assets, including monetary gold, that are readily available to and controlled by monetary authorities for meeting balance of payments financing needs, for intervention in exchange markets to affect the currency exchange rate, and for other related purposes (such as maintaining confidence in the currency and the economy, and serving as a basis for foreign borrowing). Reserve assets must be denominated and settled in foreign currency. This item is expressed in terms of the number of months of imports of goods and services they could pay for [X/(Imports/12)].