Total reserves (% of total external debt) in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Total reserves (% of total external debt) was 42.5% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Total reserves in Democratic Republic of Congo, 1971–2023
Source: International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total external debt.
Analysis
Democratic Republic of Congo recorded 42.5% for total reserves in 2023. That is the highest value across all 53 years on record.
That represents a change of up 3.7% on the previous year and up 59.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total reserves in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 42.5% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 1993.
That places Democratic Republic of Congo 44th out of 112 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Total reserves (% of total external debt) in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | % of total external debt | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 37.5% | — |
| 1972 | 32.2% | -14.2% |
| 1973 | 32.2% | +0.2% |
| 1974 | 13.8% | -57.2% |
| 1975 | 4.1% | -70.0% |
| 1976 | 2.9% | -29.4% |
| 1977 | 4.8% | +65.1% |
| 1978 | 4.3% | -9.9% |
| 1979 | 7.4% | +70.5% |
| 1980 | 8.0% | +7.4% |
| 1981 | 5.8% | -27.5% |
| 1982 | 4.5% | -22.8% |
| 1983 | 5.0% | +13.4% |
| 1984 | 5.3% | +5.2% |
| 1985 | 5.4% | +2.2% |
| 1986 | 6.3% | +15.5% |
| 1987 | 4.8% | -24.0% |
| 1988 | 4.3% | -8.9% |
| 1989 | 3.0% | -29.8% |
| 1990 | 2.5% | -16.6% |
| 1991 | 1.8% | -29.9% |
| 1992 | 1.5% | -15.3% |
| 1993 | 0.5% | -67.8% |
| 1994 | 1.1% | +119.4% |
| 1995 | 1.2% | +11.5% |
| 1996 | 0.6% | -45.9% |
| 1997 | 0.8% | +23.9% |
| 1998 | 0.6% | -21.6% |
| 1999 | 0.7% | +8.5% |
| 2000 | 0.7% | +3.0% |
| 2001 | 0.7% | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 0.7% | +3.4% |
| 2003 | 0.9% | +16.4% |
| 2004 | 2.0% | +139.8% |
| 2005 | 1.2% | -40.1% |
| 2006 | 1.4% | +11.1% |
| 2007 | 1.5% | +6.3% |
| 2008 | 0.6% | -56.4% |
| 2009 | 7.9% | +1150.9% |
| 2010 | 22.9% | +189.2% |
| 2011 | 24.7% | +7.9% |
| 2012 | 30.9% | +25.3% |
| 2013 | 26.7% | -13.7% |
| 2014 | 27.6% | +3.5% |
| 2015 | 22.2% | -19.7% |
| 2016 | 13.6% | -38.8% |
| 2017 | 13.1% | -3.2% |
| 2018 | 10.1% | -23.4% |
| 2019 | 16.6% | +64.4% |
| 2020 | 8.8% | -46.7% |
| 2021 | 33.1% | +274.9% |
| 2022 | 41.0% | +23.9% |
| 2023 | 42.5% | +3.7% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 42.5% is above the median for low income countries, which is 18.5%, 2.3× the median. (18 countries reporting)
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 42.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 23.9%, 1.8× the median. (36 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Total reserves (% of total external debt) in Democratic Republic of Congo 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | +1150.9% | 0.6% | 7.9% |
| 2021 | +274.9% | 8.8% | 33.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 15.5% | 2.9% | 37.5% | 9 |
| 1980s | 5.2% | 3.0% | 8.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.1% | 0.5% | 2.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.8% | 0.6% | 7.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.8% | 10.1% | 30.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.3% | 8.8% | 42.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
- 41 Kyrgyzstan 43.5% compare
- 42 Eswatini 43.3% compare
- 43 Mauritania 42.6% compare
- 45 Madagascar 41.9% compare
- 46 Mauritius 41.8% compare
- 47 Fiji 41.3% compare
More financial sector data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (1982)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (1982)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (1982)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, SDR, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (1982)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total reserves in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Total reserves in Democratic Republic of Congo was 42.5% in 2023, according to International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest total reserves recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 42.5% in 2023.
- What is the lowest total reserves recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 1993.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for total reserves?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 44th out of 112 countries with data for 2023.
- Is total reserves rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 59.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo data come from?
- The figures come from International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB), published as part of Total reserves (% of total external debt). 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 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.