25_SDR holdings in South Africa

South Africa: 25_SDR holdings was 6.19 billion in 2026. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2026)
6.19 billion
Change on year
up 4.6%
World rank
28th
of 189 countries
All-time high
6.19 billion
in 2026
All-time low
139,772
in 1993
Years of data
37
1990–2026

25_SDR holdings in South Africa, 1990–2026

02.0B4.0B6.0B1990200820261990: 1.9M1991: 2.5M1992: 1.2M1993: 139.8k1994: 18.7M1995: 1.3M1996: 2.6M1997: 1.0M1998: 2.3M1999: 177.0M2000: 297.0M2001: 280.5M2002: 277.5M2003: 306.1M2004: 329.9M2005: 336.7M2006: 321.1M2007: 336.7M2008: 366.8M2009: 333.6M2010: 2.7B2011: 2.8B2012: 2.8B2013: 2.7B2014: 2.8B2015: 2.5B2016: 2.1B2017: 2.0B2018: 2.2B2019: 2.1B2020: 2.0B2021: 2.1B2022: 6.1B2023: 6.0B2024: 5.8B2025: 5.9B2026: 6.2B

Source: IMF.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 6.19 billion for 25_sdr holdings in 2026. That is the highest value across all 37 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.6% on the previous year and up 194.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, 25_sdr holdings in South Africa peaked at 6.19 billion in 2026 and was at its lowest, 139,772, in 1993.

South Africa ranks 28th of 189 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

25_SDR holdings in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for 25_SDR holdings in South Africa, 1990 to 2026.
Year Value Change
1990 1.90 million —
1991 2.45 million +29.0%
1992 1.25 million -49.1%
1993 139,772 -88.8%
1994 18.70 million +13280.9%
1995 1.34 million -92.8%
1996 2.62 million +95.3%
1997 1.00 million -61.6%
1998 2.29 million +128.5%
1999 177.04 million +7621.5%
2000 297.00 million +67.8%
2001 280.53 million -5.5%
2002 277.53 million -1.1%
2003 306.06 million +10.3%
2004 329.86 million +7.8%
2005 336.67 million +2.1%
2006 321.14 million -4.6%
2007 336.73 million +4.9%
2008 366.83 million +8.9%
2009 333.57 million -9.1%
2010 2.71 billion +713.9%
2011 2.84 billion +4.4%
2012 2.77 billion -2.3%
2013 2.68 billion -3.2%
2014 2.76 billion +3.1%
2015 2.47 billion -10.7%
2016 2.10 billion -14.8%
2017 2.03 billion -3.7%
2018 2.17 billion +7.2%
2019 2.07 billion -4.4%
2020 2.04 billion -1.5%
2021 2.12 billion +3.9%
2022 6.11 billion +188.1%
2023 5.95 billion -2.6%
2024 5.82 billion -2.2%
2025 5.91 billion +1.5%
2026 6.19 billion +4.6%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 6.19 billion is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 190.68 million, 32.4× the median. (57 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 6.19 billion is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 103.21 million, 59.9× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where 25_SDR holdings in South Africa 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.

YearChange FromTo
1994 +13280.9% 139,772 18.70 million
1999 +7621.5% 2.29 million 177.04 million
2010 +713.9% 333.57 million 2.71 billion
2022 +188.1% 2.12 billion 6.11 billion
1998 +128.5% 1.00 million 2.29 million
1995 -92.8% 18.70 million 1.34 million

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 20.87 million 139,772 177.04 million 10
2000s 318.59 million 277.53 million 366.83 million 10
2010s 2.46 billion 2.03 billion 2.84 billion 10
2020s 4.88 billion 2.04 billion 6.19 billion 7

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 25 Iran 6.85 billion compare
  2. 26 Denmark 6.85 billion compare
  3. 27 Singapore 6.42 billion compare
  4. 29 Malaysia 5.92 billion compare
  5. 30 Ireland 5.86 billion compare
  6. 31 Poland 5.75 billion compare

See the full ranking of 189 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is 25_sdr holdings in South Africa?
25_sdr holdings in South Africa was 6.19 billion in 2026, according to IMF.
What is the highest 25_sdr holdings recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 6.19 billion in 2026.
What is the lowest 25_sdr holdings recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 139,772 in 1993.
How does South Africa rank for 25_sdr holdings?
South Africa ranks 28th out of 189 countries with data for 2026.
Is 25_sdr holdings rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 194.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from IMF, published as part of 25_SDR holdings. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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25_SDR holdings in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on IMF. Retrieved 28 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/25-sdr-holdings/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
25_SDR holdings
Source
IMF
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
189 places, 6,873 data points, 1990–2026
Last refreshed

Holdings of SDRs are international reserve assets created by the IMF to supplement existing reserves. They are valued on the basis of a basket of currencies of four key international currencies and can be used in a wide variety of transactions and operations among official holders. SDRs are allocated to Fund members that are participants in the Fund’s Operations Division for SDRs and Administered Accounts in proportion to their quotas. Data are sourced from IMF records.