Mexico vs South Africa: Total reserves

Mexico
39.2%
in 2024
South Africa
37.2%
in 2024
Mexico rank
51st
South Africa rank
54th

Total reserves over time

  • Mexico
  • South Africa
01020304050197119972024

How they compare

Mexico currently reports 39.2% against 37.2% in South Africa, a difference of 2.0%.

That makes Mexico's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.

The two have swapped places 9 times across 31 shared years of data; in 1994 it was South Africa ahead.

Mexico ranks 51st and South Africa ranks 54th of 112 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, Mexico averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade Mexico South Africa Difference Ahead
1990s 13.7% 18.6% 4.9% South Africa
2000s 31.0% 36.3% 5.3% South Africa
2010s 34.6% 33.5% 1.2% Mexico
2020s 35.3% 35.1% 0.2% Mexico

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher total reserves, Mexico or South Africa?
Mexico, at 39.2% against 37.2% in South Africa as of 2024.
What is the difference in total reserves between Mexico and South Africa?
2.0%, with Mexico ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Mexico and South Africa?
31 years are reported by both, from 1994 to 2024.
How do Mexico and South Africa rank globally for total reserves?
Mexico ranks 51st and South Africa ranks 54th of 112 countries.
Where does this data come from?
International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB), published as Total reserves (% of total external debt). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Mexico vs South Africa: Total reserves. Statizoid, drawing on International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB). Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://financial-sector.statizoid.com/compare/total-reserves-percent-of-total-external-debt/mexico/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Total reserves (% of total external debt)
Unit
% of total external debt
Source
International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
152 places, 6,935 data points, 1971–2024
Last refreshed

Reserve assets are external assets, including monetary gold, that are readily available to and controlled by monetary authorities for meeting balance of payments financing needs, for intervention in exchange markets to affect the currency exchange rate, and for other related purposes (such as maintaining confidence in the currency and the economy, and serving as a basis for foreign borrowing). Reserve assets must be denominated and settled in foreign currency. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of total external debt which are all liabilities that require payment(s) of interest and/or principal by the debtor at some point(s) in the future and that are owed to non-residents by residents of an economy.