China vs Japan: Reserves excluding gold
China
2.50 trillion SDR
in 2025
Japan
914.64 billion SDR
in 2025
China rank
1st
Japan rank
2nd
Reserves excluding gold over time
- China
- Japan
How they compare
China currently reports 2.50 trillion SDR against 914.64 billion SDR in Japan, a difference of 1.59 trillion SDR.
That makes China's figure about 2.7 times Japan's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 49 shared years of data; in 1977 it was Japan ahead.
China ranks 1st and Japan ranks 2nd of 188 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, China averaged higher in 3 and Japan in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Japan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.59 billion SDR | 19.36 billion SDR | 17.78 billion SDR | Japan |
| 1980s | 10.85 billion SDR | 36.69 billion SDR | 25.83 billion SDR | Japan |
| 1990s | 57.07 billion SDR | 111.44 billion SDR | 54.37 billion SDR | Japan |
| 2000s | 624.53 billion SDR | 498.98 billion SDR | 125.55 billion SDR | China |
| 2010s | 2.26 trillion SDR | 840.61 billion SDR | 1.42 trillion SDR | China |
| 2020s | 2.41 trillion SDR | 919.13 billion SDR | 1.49 trillion SDR | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher reserves excluding gold, China or Japan?
- China, at 2.50 trillion SDR against 914.64 billion SDR in Japan as of 2025.
- What is the difference in reserves excluding gold between China and Japan?
- 1.59 trillion SDR, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Japan?
- 49 years are reported by both, from 1977 to 2025.
- How do China and Japan rank globally for reserves excluding gold?
- China ranks 1st and Japan ranks 2nd of 188 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Monetary Fund, published as Reserves excluding gold (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