Ranking of global foreign exchange reserves

Foreign exchange reserves are closely related to national financial security. In 2022, Sri Lanka's bankruptcy attracted widespread attention, and one of the key issues is the shortage of foreign exchange reserves. Sri Lanka's foreign exchange reserves remain at only $25 million, far below the $50 billion in international funds that the country needs. A similar situation also occurred in Ukraine, where Ukraine, devastated by the Russo-Ukrainian War, had to urgently use its foreign exchange reserves to protect its fragile economy. These two cases clearly demonstrate that foreign exchange reserves are closely related to the national economy.

So what are foreign exchange reserves? Foreign exchange reserves refer to assets held by the central bank of a country, region, or economy that can be exchanged for other countries' currencies at any time. In short, foreign exchange reserves usually consist of four main components: gold held by the government, convertible foreign currency held by the government, funds of the central bank abroad, and assets of all financial institutions abroad. Foreign exchange reserves are usually measured in US dollars.

Does the amount of foreign exchange reserves represent the strength of a country's economy? This is a complex problem. The higher the foreign exchange reserves, the more resistant a country is to financial crises or external shocks. But excessive foreign exchange reserves can also bring problems. When a large amount of foreign investment flows in or out, it may lead to drastic fluctuations in exchange rates and asset prices, which can have a negative impact on the economy.

Let's take a look at the top ten economies in global foreign exchange reserves:

1. China: As the world's largest exporter, China mainly exports mechanical and electrical products, high-tech products, three-C products, clothing, textiles, etc. It has created a large amount of foreign exchange and holds over 3.2 trillion US dollars in foreign exchange reserves, ranking first. According to data from the General Administration of Customs of China, China's total exports in May 2022 reached 308.2 billion US dollars, an increase of 16.9% year-on-year.

   
   

2. Japan: Japan's main export commodities include semiconductors and automobiles, with approximately $1.4 trillion in foreign exchange reserves ranking second. According to data from the Ministry of Finance of Japan, Japan's total exports reached a historic high of 4590 billion yen from January to June 2022.

   
   

3. Switzerland: Switzerland mainly exports chemical and pharmaceutical products and other commodities, with a foreign exchange reserve size of approximately 850 billion US dollars. Switzerland's export value in the second quarter of 2022 reached 66.2 billion Swiss francs.

   
   

4. India's foreign exchange reserves are approximately 680 billion US dollars, mainly exporting engineering products and petroleum products. India has taken some measures to challenge the dominance of the US dollar, such as using the rupee for cross-border trade settlements.

   
   

5. Russia: Russia mainly exports oil and natural gas and is also a major producer of gold, coal, wheat, wood, and nickel, with a foreign exchange reserve size of approximately 630 billion US dollars.

   
   

6. Hong Kong: Hong Kong relies on exports of electronic components, especially semiconductors, with foreign exchange reserves of approximately 430 billion US dollars. Hong Kong is also known for its exports in the fields of toys, machinery, and watches.

   
   

7. Taiwan: Taiwan mainly exports semiconductors and petroleum products, as well as exports in areas such as steel, biotechnology, and batteries. Its foreign exchange reserves are approximately 580 billion US dollars.

   
   

8. Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia mainly relies on oil exports, with foreign exchange reserves of approximately $460 billion, in an attempt to reduce its dependence on the US dollar.

   
   

9. South Korea's economic growth is driven by exports in fields such as semiconductors, petroleum reprocessing, steel, and biotechnology, with foreign exchange reserves of approximately $400 billion.

   
   

10. Singapore: Singapore's main economic pillar is exports in the fields of electronic machinery, pharmaceutical products, petrochemical products, and chemical products, with foreign exchange reserves of approximately $320 billion.

Why is the United States not among the top ten in global foreign exchange reserves? In fact, the United States' foreign exchange reserves are only $234.4 billion, and it has not even entered the top 15. But this does not affect the strong position of the United States. The US dollar is the world's main reserve currency, which means that the United States has the power to dominate global exchange rates and commodity prices. Moreover, the strength of the United States is not only reflected in its military power but also in its possession and control of hard currency in global financial markets.

The level of foreign exchange reserves is related to a country's economic strength, but it is not the only factor. The main role of foreign exchange reserves is to maintain exchange rate stability and financial market stability. When measuring a country's economic strength, the global ranking of foreign exchange reserves has a reference value, but it is not the only indicator. It is necessary to comprehensively consider multiple factors to evaluate a country's overall economic situation.

Disclaimer: This material is for general information purposes only and is not intended as (and should not be considered to be) financial, investment or other advice on which reliance should be placed. No opinion given in the material constitutes a recommendation by EBC or the author that any particular investment, security, transaction or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person.