Malaysia Reserves in Months of Imports
Total reserves in months of imports FI.RES.TOTL.MO
Malaysia's reserves in months of imports was 3.8 in 2025, ranked 78th globally. This represents a 14.9% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1974–2025.
Overview
Malaysia's reserves in months of imports stood at 3.8 in 2025, a decline of +0.7 from 2024. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 3.8 by 2025. Malaysia ranked 78th globally.
Malaysia’s reserves in months of imports stood at 3.79 in 2025, placing the country 78th globally and virtually level with Morocco’s 3.80 and slightly above Norway’s 3.69. The indicator has trended downward since its all‑time peak of 7.24 in 2009, when abundant foreign‑exchange inflows from commodity exports bolstered the buffer. A sharp contraction occurred during the Asian financial crisis, driving the trough to 2.57 in 1997, after which gradual recovery lifted the reserve cover to above four months by the early 2000s. Over the 52‑year series, the average has hovered near the current level, reflecting Malaysia’s moderate reliance on external financing and a balanced trade profile. The recent modest decline from the 2009 high suggests that without significant shifts in export composition or external debt servicing, the reserves are likely to remain within a narrow band around three to four months, barring major macro‑economic shocks.
Data & projection
| Year | Reserves in Months of Imports | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027* trend | 3.0 | - | - |
| 2026* trend | 3.4 | - | - |
| 2025* trend | 3.8 | - | - |
| 2025 | 3.8 | −0.7 | #78 |
| 2024 | 4.5 | −0.3 | #63 |
| 2023 | 4.8 | +0.4 | #63 |
| 2022 | 4.3 | −0.9 | #74 |
| 2021 | 5.2 | −1.1 | #83 |
| 2020 | 6.3 | +1.0 | #71 |
| 2019 | 5.3 | +0.4 | #58 |
| 2018 | 4.9 | −0.6 | #61 |
| 2017 | 5.5 | −0.1 | #60 |
| 2016 | 5.6 | +0.1 | #55 |
| 2015 | 5.5 | −0.2 | #51 |
| 2014 | 5.7 | −1.0 | #41 |
| 2013 | 6.7 | −0.3 | #33 |
| 2012 | 7.0 | +0.0 | #30 |
| 2011 | 6.9 | +0.6 | #27 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Malaysia matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2011. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw reserves in months of imports improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Malaysia's reserves in months of imports was 3.8 in 2025. Ranked 78th globally. This represents a 14.9% decrease from the previous year.
Malaysia's reserves in months of imports peaked at 7.2 in 2009.
The lowest reserves in months of imports in Malaysia was 2.6 in 1997.
Malaysia ranks 78th globally in reserves in months of imports as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is FI.RES.TOTL.MO. Data sourced from World Bank.
Malaysia's reserves in months of imports is projected to reach 3.8 by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The reserves in months of imports of Malaysia in 2025 was 3.8. This ranks 78th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_malaysia_reserves-months-imports,
title = {Malaysia Reserves in Months of Imports},
url = {https://historysaid.com/malaysia/reserves-months-imports/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}