Malawi: Reserves

The latest value from 2020 is 0.59 billion U.S. dollars, a decline from 0.85 billion U.S. dollars in 2019. In comparison, the world average is 87.33 billion U.S. dollars, based on data from 164 countries. Historically, the average for Malawi from 1965 to 2020 is 0.19 billion U.S. dollars. The minimum value, 0.02 billion U.S. dollars, was reached in 1966 while the maximum of 0.85 billion U.S. dollars was recorded in 2019. See the global rankings for that indicator or use the country comparator to compare trends over time.

The reserves of Malawi and other countries include their holdings of foreign currencies and gold. These are the reserves of the central bank and the treasury of the country, not the private sector.

When countries export products or attract investment from other countries, they receive foreign currencies. They use some of these currencies to buy imports and to invest in other countries. The rest is held in reserves and some of the reserves may be converted to gold.

Definition: Total reserves comprise holdings of monetary gold, special drawing rights, reserves of IMF members held by the IMF, and holdings of foreign exchange under the control of monetary authorities. The gold component of these reserves is valued at year-end (December 31) London prices. Data are in current U.S. dollars.