Jamaica: Total reserves (% of total external debt)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Jamaica's total reserves (% of total external debt) rose 6.34 percentage points on 2023 (from 31.62% to 37.97%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +0.74 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 5.17 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 12.84 percentage points in 2001 and the biggest yearly fall was 10.83 percentage points in 2007. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about 1.56 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 78% 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.

A straight-line projection, tested first

Extending that straight line gives about 39.66% for 2027. We show this only because the same method, fitted on earlier years, predicted 2022 to 2024 better than "no change" would have: its average miss was 2.22%, against 3.61% for assuming no change. Treat it as a continuation of the recent pattern, not a forecast of events: it cannot see a recession, a policy change or a revision to the data.

See how a linear trend forecast works and the guide on forecasting without fooling yourself.

How it compares

In 2024, Jamaica had the 47th highest value of the 96 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 Jamaica in the 2024 ranking

• St. Vincent and the Grenadines — 43rd of 96: 39.29%
• Mexico — 44th of 96: 39.24%
• Gambia, The — 45th of 96: 38.28%
• South Africa — 47th of 96: 37.2%
• Nigeria — 48th of 96: 37.15%
• Indonesia — 49th of 96: 36.98%

What this measures

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 percentage of total external debt which are all liabilities that require payment(s) of interest and/or principal by the debtor at some point(s) in the future and that are owed to non-residents by residents of an economy.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 54 values

Total reserves (% of total external debt) in nearby economies

• Argentina — 12.2% (2024)
• Belize — 31.95% (2024)
• Bolivia — 12.58% (2024)
• Brazil — 54.46% (2024)
• Colombia — 30.68% (2024)
• Dominica — 27.39% (2024)
• Dominican Republic — 25.28% (2024)
• Ecuador — 11.44% (2024)
• El Salvador — 14.84% (2024)
• Grenada — 49.03% (2024)

More economic policy & debt data for Jamaica

• Total reserves, including gold (current US$) — US$6.3 billion (2025)
• Total reserves, excluding gold (current US$) — US$6.3 billion (2025)
• Gross Value Added (GVA) at basic prices (current US$) — US$19.27 billion (2025)
• Gross Value Added (GVA) at basic prices (current LCU) — 3.07 trillion (2025)
• GDP (current US$) — US$22.7 billion (2025)
• GDP (current LCU) — 3.61 trillion (2025)
• GDP per capita (current US$) — US$8,003 (2025)
• GDP per capita (current LCU) — 1.27 million (2025)
• GNI (current US$) — US$22.36 billion (2025)
• GNI (current LCU) — 3.56 trillion (2025)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Jamaica's total reserves (% of total external debt)?

37.97% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1971?

It is up 20.36 percentage points from 17.6% in 1971. The highest value was 37.97% in 2024 and the lowest 1.81% in 1983.

How does Jamaica rank?

47th highest of 96 economies with data for 2024.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator FI.RES.TOTL.DT.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB) 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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