Saudi Arabia vs Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA): Reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange
Saudi Arabia
317.55 billion SDR
in 2025
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)
141.23 billion SDR
in 2025
Saudi Arabia rank
6th
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) rank
9th
Reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange over time
- Saudi Arabia
- Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)
How they compare
Saudi Arabia currently reports 317.55 billion SDR against 141.23 billion SDR in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), a difference of 176.32 billion SDR.
That makes Saudi Arabia's figure about 2.2 times Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)'s.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 69 shared years of data; in 1957 it was Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) ahead.
Saudi Arabia ranks 6th and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) ranks 9th of 188 countries.
Across the 8 decades both report, Saudi Arabia averaged higher in 5 and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Saudi Arabia | Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 74.67 million SDR | 1.05 billion SDR | 977.47 million SDR | Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) |
| 1960s | 434.90 million SDR | 1.02 billion SDR | 584.11 million SDR | Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) |
| 1970s | 10.55 billion SDR | 4.08 billion SDR | 6.47 billion SDR | Saudi Arabia |
| 1980s | 13.59 billion SDR | 5.52 billion SDR | 8.07 billion SDR | Saudi Arabia |
| 1990s | 6.83 billion SDR | 13.50 billion SDR | 6.67 billion SDR | Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) |
| 2000s | 105.20 billion SDR | 56.82 billion SDR | 48.37 billion SDR | Saudi Arabia |
| 2010s | 386.92 billion SDR | 115.47 billion SDR | 271.45 billion SDR | Saudi Arabia |
| 2020s | 313.53 billion SDR | 125.49 billion SDR | 188.04 billion SDR | Saudi Arabia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange, Saudi Arabia or Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)?
- Saudi Arabia, at 317.55 billion SDR against 141.23 billion SDR in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) as of 2025.
- What is the difference in reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange between Saudi Arabia and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)?
- 176.32 billion SDR, with Saudi Arabia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Saudi Arabia and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)?
- 69 years are reported by both, from 1957 to 2025.
- How do Saudi Arabia and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) rank globally for reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 6th 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 consists of all the resources that are available to the monetary authorities of countries for the purpose of meeting balance of payments financing needs.