Zimbabwe Reserves in Months of Imports
Total reserves in months of imports FI.RES.TOTL.MO
Zimbabwe's reserves in months of imports was 0.5 in 2025, ranked 148th globally. This represents a 7.4% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1977–2025.
Overview
Zimbabwe's reserves in months of imports stood at 0.5 in 2025, a decline of +0.0 from 2024. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 0.5 by 2025. Zimbabwe ranked 148th globally.
Zimbabwe’s reserves in months of imports have fallen dramatically from an all‑time peak of 4.04 in 1979 to a historic trough of 0.06 in 2020, before rising modestly to 0.48 in 2025, placing the country 148th globally. The 35‑year series shows a long‑term contraction, with the post‑2020 recovery still far below the 1977 level of 1.17. Compared with peers of similar rank, Zimbabwe’s 2025 reserve cover is slightly higher than Panama’s 0.47 and marginally above Djibouti’s 0.46, yet well below Slovenia’s 0.59 and Estonia’s 0.64, underscoring persistent vulnerability. The recent uptick reflects limited foreign exchange inflows and modest policy adjustments, but the reserve buffer remains insufficient to cover even a single month of essential imports. Continued improvements in export earnings, fiscal discipline, and access to external financing will be required to sustain any upward trajectory and move the reserve cover beyond the current sub‑one‑month level.
Data & projection
| Year | Reserves in Months of Imports | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027* trend | 0.5 | - | - |
| 2026* trend | 0.5 | - | - |
| 2025* trend | 0.5 | - | - |
| 2025 | 0.5 | −0.0 | #148 |
| 2024 | 0.5 | +0.4 | #123 |
| 2023 | 0.1 | −0.6 | #154 |
| 2022 | 0.7 | −0.4 | #151 |
| 2021 | 1.1 | +1.1 | #149 |
| 2020 | 0.1 | −0.3 | #162 |
| 2019 | 0.3 | +0.2 | #158 |
| 2018 | 0.1 | −0.4 | #162 |
| 2017 | 0.5 | −0.2 | #156 |
| 2016 | 0.7 | +0.1 | #154 |
| 2015 | 0.7 | +0.2 | #158 |
| 2014 | 0.5 | −0.1 | #160 |
| 2013 | 0.7 | −0.1 | #157 |
| 2012 | 0.8 | −0.0 | #157 |
| 2011 | 0.8 | −0.5 | #153 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Zimbabwe matched the Stagflation Risk pattern in 2024. Historically, 38% of countries showing this pattern (117 out of 307) saw reserves in months of imports improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Zimbabwe's reserves in months of imports was 0.5 in 2025. Ranked 148th globally. This represents a 7.4% decrease from the previous year.
Zimbabwe's reserves in months of imports peaked at 4.0 in 1979.
The lowest reserves in months of imports in Zimbabwe was 0.1 in 2020.
Zimbabwe ranks 148th 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.
Zimbabwe's reserves in months of imports is projected to reach 0.5 by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The reserves in months of imports of Zimbabwe in 2025 was 0.5. This ranks 148th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_zimbabwe_reserves-months-imports,
title = {Zimbabwe Reserves in Months of Imports},
url = {https://historysaid.com/zimbabwe/reserves-months-imports/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}