Total reserves in months of imports (reserves International Financial) in Malawi
Malawi: Total reserves in months of imports (reserves International Financial) was 1.91 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Total reserves in months of imports in Malawi, 1978–2020
Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Analysis
The most recent figure for total reserves in months of imports in Malawi is 1.91, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 33.0% on the previous year and up 39.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total reserves in months of imports in Malawi peaked at 4.38 in 1998 and was at its lowest, 0.5466, in 1983.
That places Malawi 138th out of 179 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 43 years of available data.
Total reserves in months of imports (reserves International Financial) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 2.13 | — |
| 1979 | 1.58 | -26.0% |
| 1980 | 1.43 | -9.5% |
| 1981 | 1.24 | -13.0% |
| 1982 | 0.7962 | -36.0% |
| 1983 | 0.5466 | -31.3% |
| 1984 | 1.73 | +216.5% |
| 1985 | 1.34 | -22.3% |
| 1986 | 0.8898 | -33.8% |
| 1987 | 1.68 | +89.1% |
| 1988 | 3.24 | +92.3% |
| 1989 | 2.36 | -27.0% |
| 1990 | 2.67 | +13.1% |
| 1991 | 2.19 | -18.2% |
| 1992 | 0.6339 | -71.0% |
| 1993 | 1.11 | +74.6% |
| 1994 | 0.8445 | -23.7% |
| 1995 | 1.95 | +130.7% |
| 1996 | 3.3 | +69.6% |
| 1997 | 1.83 | -44.7% |
| 1998 | 4.38 | +139.8% |
| 1999 | 3.7 | -15.4% |
| 2000 | 4.35 | +17.5% |
| 2001 | 3.6 | -17.2% |
| 2002 | 2.37 | -34.2% |
| 2003 | 1.52 | -35.7% |
| 2004 | 1.38 | -9.1% |
| 2005 | 1.43 | +3.0% |
| 2006 | 1.22 | -14.7% |
| 2007 | 1.69 | +38.5% |
| 2008 | 1.41 | -16.2% |
| 2009 | 0.8302 | -41.2% |
| 2010 | 1.38 | +65.9% |
| 2011 | 0.7985 | -42.0% |
| 2012 | 1.13 | +41.4% |
| 2013 | 1.59 | +41.2% |
| 2014 | 2.23 | +39.8% |
| 2015 | 2.99 | +34.1% |
| 2016 | 2.93 | -2.1% |
| 2017 | 3.01 | +2.8% |
| 2018 | 2.76 | -8.3% |
| 2019 | 2.86 | +3.6% |
| 2020 | 1.91 | -33.0% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 1.91 is below the median for low income countries, which is 2.02, 95% of the median. (19 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 1.91 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.46, 55% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Total reserves in months of imports (reserves International Financial) in Malawi changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | +216.5% | 0.5466 | 1.73 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.86 | 1.58 | 2.13 | 2 |
| 1980s | 1.53 | 0.5466 | 3.24 | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.26 | 0.6339 | 4.38 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.98 | 0.8302 | 4.35 | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.17 | 0.7985 | 3.01 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.91 | 1.91 | 1.91 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More financial sector data for Malawi
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita 0.1505 units per person (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita 0.1099 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per capita 0.1505 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, SDR, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total reserves in months of imports in Malawi?
- Total reserves in months of imports in Malawi was 1.91 in 2020, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest total reserves in months of imports recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 4.38 in 1998.
- What is the lowest total reserves in months of imports recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5466 in 1983.
- How does Malawi rank for total reserves in months of imports?
- Malawi ranks 138th out of 179 countries with data for 2020.
- Is total reserves in months of imports rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 39.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Total reserves in months of imports. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
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 item is expressed in terms of the number of months of imports of goods and services they could pay for [X/(Imports/12)].