China vs Japan: Total Reserves
China
3.43 million
in 2025
Japan
1.25 million
in 2025
China rank
1st
Japan rank
2nd
Total Reserves over time
- China
- Japan
How they compare
China currently reports 3.43 million against 1.25 million in Japan, a difference of 2.17 million.
That makes China's figure about 2.7 times Japan's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 36 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Japan ahead.
China ranks 1st and Japan ranks 2nd of 164 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, China averaged higher in 3 and Japan in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Japan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 80,430 | 155,276 | 74,846 | Japan |
| 2000s | 949,346 | 742,198 | 207,148 | China |
| 2010s | 3.29 million | 1.22 million | 2.07 million | China |
| 2020s | 3.29 million | 1.26 million | 2.03 million | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher total reserves, China or Japan?
- China, at 3.43 million against 1.25 million in Japan as of 2025.
- What is the difference in total reserves between China and Japan?
- 2.17 million, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Japan?
- 36 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2025.
- How do China and Japan rank globally for total reserves?
- China ranks 1st and Japan ranks 2nd of 164 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Bank staff calculations based on Datastream data, published as Total Reserves. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total reserves comprise holdings of monetary gold, special drawing rights, reserves of IMF members held by the IMF, and holdings of foreign exchange under the control of monetary authorities.