Barbados: Broad money to total reserves ratio

Key figures

Over five years it is down 58.63% from 10.6 in 2018 (16.18% a year on average, compounded). Since 1966 it is up 1.3% from 4.33 in 1966. The World Bank has no value for 2 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2023, Barbados' broad money to total reserves ratio fell 0.21 on 2022 (from 4.59 to 4.39).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1990 to 2022), the average change was −0.09 and a typical year strayed about 3 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 8.35 in 2017 and the biggest yearly fall was 10.72 in 2018. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 the straight-line trend is downward, about 1.01 a year. A straight line explains 33% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2023, Barbados had the 4th highest value of the 11 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Barbados in the 2023 ranking

• Zimbabwe — 1st of 11: 34.79
• Burundi — 2nd of 11: 17
• Congo, Rep. — 3rd of 11: 6.08
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 5th of 11: 4.04
• Fiji — 6th of 11: 3.2
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 7th of 11: 2.99

What this measures

Broad money is the sum of all liquid financial instruments held by money-holding sectors that are widely accepted in an economy as a medium of exchange, plus those that can be converted into a medium of exchange at short notice at, or close to, their full nominal value. Reserve assets are external assets, including monetary gold, that are readily available to and controlled by monetary authorities for meeting balance of payments financing needs, for intervention in exchange markets to affect the currency exchange rate, and for other related purposes (such as maintaining confidence in the currency and the economy, and serving as a basis for foreign borrowing). Reserve assets must be denominated and settled in foreign currency. This indicator is expressed as a ratio (a÷b).

All 56 values

Broad money to total reserves ratio in nearby economies

• Antigua and Barbuda — 4.7 (2025)
• Argentina — 4.38 (2025)
• Aruba — 2.13 (2023)
• Bahamas, The — 3.66 (2022)
• Belize — 4.61 (2025)
• Bolivia — 64.32 (2025)
• Brazil — 7.54 (2025)
• Chile — 5.02 (2025)
• Colombia — 2.99 (2025)
• Costa Rica — 3.03 (2025)
• Dominica — 3.55 (2025)
• Dominican Republic — 3.56 (2025)
• Ecuador — 8.26 (2025)
• El Salvador — 4.89 (2025)
• Grenada — 3.2 (2025)

More financial sector data for Barbados

• GDP deflator (base year varies by country) — 104.55 (2025)
• DEC alternative conversion factor (LCU per US$) — US$2 (2025)
• Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average) — US$2 (2025)
• Inflation, GDP deflator (annual % growth) — 2.74% (2025)
• Consumer price index (2010 = 100) — 146.54 (2025)
• Domestic credit to private sector by banks (% of GDP) — 59.62% (2023)
• Net domestic credit (current LCU) — 12.13 billion (2023)
• Net foreign assets (current LCU) — 2.26 billion (2023)
• Monetary sector credit to private sector (% of GDP) — 59.73% (2023)
• Broad money (current LCU) — 14.09 billion (2023)
• Broad money (% of GDP) — 97.53% (2023)
• Inflation, consumer prices (annual % growth) — 0.85% (2025)
• Claims on central government, etc. (% of GDP) — 21.04% (2023)
• Domestic credit to private sector (% of GDP) — 59.73% (2023)
• Claims on central government (annual growth as % of broad money) — 0.03% (2023)

Every indicator for Barbados is on the Barbados data page.

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Barbados's broad money to total reserves ratio?

4.39 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1966?

It is up 1.3% from 4.33 in 1966. The highest value was 21.32 in 2017 and the lowest 3.68 in 1974.

How does Barbados rank?

4th highest of 11 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in broad money to total reserves ratio unusual for Barbados?

In 2023, Barbados' broad money to total reserves ratio fell 0.21 on 2022 (from 4.59 to 4.39). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1990 to 2022), the average change was −0.09 and a typical year strayed about 3 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator FM.LBL.BMNY.IR.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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