Japan Foreign Reserves
Total reserves including gold FI.RES.TOTL.CD
Japan's foreign reserves was $1.18T in 2025, ranked 2nd globally. This represents a 4.1% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1960–2025.
Overview
Japan's foreign reserves stood at $1.18T in 2025, a decline of +$50.2B from 2024. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach $1.18T by 2025. Japan ranked 2nd globally.
Japan’s foreign exchange reserves stood at 1,180,467,778,628.50 in 2025, placing the nation second globally behind China’s 3,465,270,447,677.20 and ahead of the United States’ 933,108,061,932.84. The reserve stock has expanded dramatically from a modest 1,953,371,600.00 in 1960 to an all‑time high of 1,405,748,991,418.92 in 2021, reflecting successive phases of export‑driven growth, currency intervention, and the accumulation of safe‑haven assets. The early 1960s trough of 1,667,124,550.00 occurred when Japan’s post‑war reconstruction was still nascent and capital controls limited external holdings. Over the subsequent six decades, the upward trajectory has been reinforced by persistent current‑account surpluses and a policy of maintaining ample liquidity to cushion exchange‑rate volatility. While the 2025 level remains well below the 2021 peak, the reserve pool is likely to stabilize or modestly rise, contingent on the durability of trade surpluses and any shifts in monetary policy aimed at preserving financial stability.
Data & projection
| Year | Foreign Reserves | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027* trend | $1.09T | - | - |
| 2026* trend | $1.14T | - | - |
| 2025* trend | $1.18T | - | - |
| 2025 | $1.18T | −$50.2B | #2 |
| 2024 | $1.23T | −$64.0B | #2 |
| 2023 | $1.29T | +$67.1B | #2 |
| 2022 | $1.23T | −$178.2B | #2 |
| 2021 | $1.41T | +$14.9B | #2 |
| 2020 | $1.39T | +$68.4B | #2 |
| 2019 | $1.32T | +$52.0B | #2 |
| 2018 | $1.27T | +$6.3B | #2 |
| 2017 | $1.26T | +$47.6B | #2 |
| 2016 | $1.22T | −$16.6B | #2 |
| 2015 | $1.23T | −$27.6B | #2 |
| 2014 | $1.26T | −$6.2B | #2 |
| 2013 | $1.27T | −$1.2B | #2 |
| 2012 | $1.27T | −$27.8B | #2 |
| 2011 | $1.30T | +$191.3B | #2 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Japan matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2004. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw foreign reserves improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Japan's foreign reserves was $1.18T in 2025. Ranked 2nd globally. This represents a 4.1% decrease from the previous year.
Japan's foreign reserves peaked at $1.41T in 2021.
The lowest foreign reserves in Japan was $1.7B in 1961.
Japan ranks 2nd globally in foreign reserves as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is FI.RES.TOTL.CD. Data sourced from World Bank.
Japan's foreign reserves is projected to reach $1.18T by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
Japan's foreign reserves was approximately 1.18 trillion ($1.18T) in 2025.
The foreign reserves of Japan in 2025 was $1.18T. This ranks 2nd in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_japan_reserves,
title = {Japan Foreign Reserves},
url = {https://historysaid.com/japan/reserves/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}