South Korea vs Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA): Reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange
South Korea
294.26 billion SDR
in 2025
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)
141.01 billion SDR
in 2025
South Korea rank
9th
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) rank
9th
Reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange over time
- South Korea
- Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 294.26 billion SDR against 141.01 billion SDR in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), a difference of 153.25 billion SDR.
That makes South Korea's figure about 2.1 times Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)'s.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 76 shared years of data; in 1950 it was Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) ahead.
South Korea ranks 9th and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) ranks 9th of 188 countries.
Across the 8 decades both report, South Korea averaged higher in 4 and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Korea | Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 95.28 million SDR | 1.06 billion SDR | 964.31 million SDR | Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) |
| 1960s | 244.42 million SDR | 1.02 billion SDR | 774.59 million SDR | Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) |
| 1970s | 1.14 billion SDR | 4.08 billion SDR | 2.94 billion SDR | Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) |
| 1980s | 4.03 billion SDR | 5.52 billion SDR | 1.49 billion SDR | Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) |
| 1990s | 21.29 billion SDR | 13.50 billion SDR | 7.79 billion SDR | South Korea |
| 2000s | 124.59 billion SDR | 56.82 billion SDR | 67.77 billion SDR | South Korea |
| 2010s | 241.35 billion SDR | 115.47 billion SDR | 125.88 billion SDR | South Korea |
| 2020s | 300.22 billion SDR | 125.45 billion SDR | 174.76 billion SDR | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange, South Korea or Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)?
- South Korea, at 294.26 billion SDR against 141.01 billion SDR in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) as of 2025.
- What is the difference in reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange between South Korea and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)?
- 153.25 billion SDR, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)?
- 76 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2025.
- How do South Korea and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) rank globally for reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange?
- South Korea ranks 9th and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) ranks 9th of 188 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Monetary Fund, published as Reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange (SDR). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
International Liquidity (IL) 2026 April