United Kingdom Foreign Reserves
Total reserves including gold FI.RES.TOTL.CD
United Kingdom's foreign reserves was $172.5B in 2025, ranked 20th globally. This represents a 1.2% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1960–2025.
Overview
United Kingdom's foreign reserves stood at $172.5B in 2025, a decline of +$2.1B from 2024. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach $172.5B by 2025. United Kingdom ranked 20th globally.
The United Kingdom’s foreign‑exchange reserves have expanded dramatically from a modest 3,767,016,800.50 in 1960 to 172,478,165,823.26 in 2025, placing the country 20th globally and just behind Türkiye’s 171,447,945,417.52 and ahead of Indonesia’s 156,333,439,993.70. The reserve stock surged after the 1964 trough of 2,322,326,240.02, reflecting successive balance‑of‑payments surpluses, the liberalisation of financial markets in the 1980s, and the accumulation of sovereign wealth during periods of high current‑account inflows. The all‑time high of 194,181,397,315.03 in 2021 coincided with the post‑COVID‑19 recovery, when the Bank of England’s interventions and heightened demand for safe‑haven assets bolstered holdings. Although the 2025 level remains below the 2021 peak, the long‑term trajectory is upward, suggesting that continued fiscal prudence and a stable external position could sustain reserve growth, while major fiscal shocks or exchange‑rate volatility would be required to reverse the trend.
Data & projection
| Year | Foreign Reserves | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027* trend | $167.0B | - | - |
| 2026* trend | $169.8B | - | - |
| 2025* trend | $172.5B | - | - |
| 2025 | $172.5B | −$2.1B | #20 |
| 2024 | $174.6B | −$3.3B | #18 |
| 2023 | $177.9B | +$1.5B | #20 |
| 2022 | $176.4B | −$17.8B | #18 |
| 2021 | $194.2B | +$14.1B | #18 |
| 2020 | $180.1B | +$6.5B | #17 |
| 2019 | $173.6B | +$911.4M | #17 |
| 2018 | $172.7B | +$21.8B | #15 |
| 2017 | $150.9B | +$15.9B | #17 |
| 2016 | $134.9B | −$13.2B | #17 |
| 2015 | $148.1B | +$23.6B | #16 |
| 2014 | $124.5B | +$5.7B | #19 |
| 2013 | $118.8B | +$1.6B | #21 |
| 2012 | $117.2B | +$7.4B | #21 |
| 2011 | $109.7B | +$11.7B | #21 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
United Kingdom matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 1985. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw foreign reserves improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
United Kingdom's foreign reserves was $172.5B in 2025. Ranked 20th globally. This represents a 1.2% decrease from the previous year.
United Kingdom's foreign reserves peaked at $194.2B in 2021.
The lowest foreign reserves in United Kingdom was $2.3B in 1964.
United Kingdom ranks 20th globally in foreign reserves as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is FI.RES.TOTL.CD. Data sourced from World Bank.
United Kingdom's foreign reserves is projected to reach $172.5B by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
United Kingdom's foreign reserves was approximately 172.48 billion ($172.5B) in 2025.
The foreign reserves of United Kingdom in 2025 was $172.5B. This ranks 20th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_united-kingdom_reserves,
title = {United Kingdom Foreign Reserves},
url = {https://historysaid.com/united-kingdom/reserves/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}