Total reserves in months of imports in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Total reserves in months of imports was 6.46 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Total reserves in months of imports in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 1977–2025
Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) recorded 6.46 for total reserves in months of imports in 2025.
That represents a change of up 20.0% on the previous year and up 34.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total reserves in months of imports in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 12.33 in 1998 and was at its lowest, 1.92, in 1982.
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 29th of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 49 years of available data.
Total reserves in months of imports in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 3.24 | — |
| 1978 | 2.17 | -32.8% |
| 1979 | 4.19 | +92.9% |
| 1980 | 4.51 | +7.6% |
| 1981 | 1.98 | -56.1% |
| 1982 | 1.92 | -2.9% |
| 1983 | 2.15 | +11.6% |
| 1984 | 2.18 | +1.6% |
| 1985 | 3.19 | +46.2% |
| 1986 | 4.31 | +35.2% |
| 1987 | 5.24 | +21.6% |
| 1988 | 5.24 | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 6.56 | +25.1% |
| 1990 | 6.33 | -3.6% |
| 1991 | 6.78 | +7.1% |
| 1992 | 7.48 | +10.5% |
| 1993 | 8.93 | +19.3% |
| 1994 | 8.86 | -0.8% |
| 1995 | 8.13 | -8.1% |
| 1996 | 10.18 | +25.1% |
| 1997 | 10.86 | +6.8% |
| 1998 | 12.33 | +13.5% |
| 1999 | 8.21 | -33.4% |
| 2000 | 8.67 | +5.6% |
| 2001 | 8.59 | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 7.01 | -18.4% |
| 2003 | 5.65 | -19.4% |
| 2004 | 6.2 | +9.8% |
| 2005 | 6.62 | +6.7% |
| 2006 | 8.28 | +25.1% |
| 2007 | 7.37 | -10.9% |
| 2008 | 5.9 | -19.9% |
| 2009 | 6.43 | +8.9% |
| 2010 | 4.96 | -22.9% |
| 2011 | 4.57 | -7.7% |
| 2012 | 5.02 | +9.7% |
| 2013 | 4.9 | -2.3% |
| 2014 | 4.48 | -8.6% |
| 2015 | 4.79 | +7.0% |
| 2016 | 5.87 | +22.5% |
| 2017 | 5.88 | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 5.06 | -13.9% |
| 2019 | 4.85 | -4.2% |
| 2020 | 6.11 | +25.9% |
| 2021 | 5.52 | -9.6% |
| 2022 | 4.39 | -20.6% |
| 2023 | 4.66 | +6.3% |
| 2024 | 5.38 | +15.4% |
| 2025 | 6.46 | +20.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.2 | 2.17 | 4.19 | 3 |
| 1980s | 3.73 | 1.92 | 6.56 | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.81 | 6.33 | 12.33 | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.07 | 5.65 | 8.67 | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.04 | 4.48 | 5.88 | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.42 | 4.39 | 6.46 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
More financial sector data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- Domestic credit to private sector by banks 24.7% (2023)
- Net migration -225,499 (2025)
- Net migration, annual growth rate 66.97 % change on previous year (2025)
- Total reserves in months of imports, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Domestic credit to private sector 29.4% (2022)
- Claims on central government, etc. 12.2% (2022)
- Broad money 38.6% (2023)
- Monetary Sector credit to private sector 22.9% (2022)
- Total reserves in months of imports, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Total reserves in months of imports, annual growth rate 20.02 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total reserves in months of imports in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Total reserves in months of imports in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 6.46 in 2025, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest total reserves in months of imports recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 12.33 in 1998.
- What is the lowest total reserves in months of imports recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.92 in 1982.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for total reserves in months of imports?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 29th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is total reserves in months of imports rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 34.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) 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)].