Kuwait: Reserves and related items (current US$, BoP)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Kuwait's reserves and related items (current US$, BoP) fell US$1.11 billion on 2024 (from −US$2.96 billion to −US$4.07 billion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was −US$100.41 million and a typical year strayed about US$3.57 billion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 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 US$6.92 billion in 2022 and the biggest yearly fall was US$11.48 billion in 2021. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is downward, about US$776.19 million a year. A straight line explains 37% 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 2025, Kuwait had the 124th highest value of the 134 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 Kuwait in the 2025 ranking

• Israel — 120th of 134: −US$2.38 billion
• Panama — 121st of 134: −US$2.68 billion
• Bulgaria — 122nd of 134: −US$3.56 billion
• Korea, Rep. — 124th of 134: −US$4.53 billion
• Kazakhstan — 125th of 134: −US$5.37 billion
• Philippines — 126th of 134: −US$5.66 billion

What this measures

Reserves and related items is the net change in a country's holdings of international reserves resulting from transactions on the current, capital, and financial accounts. 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.Also included are net credit and loans from the IMF (excluding reserve position) and total exceptional financing. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.

All 49 values

Reserves and related items (current US$, BoP) in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — US$499.59 million (2020)
• Algeria — −US$20.76 billion (2025)
• Bahrain — US$661.42 million (2025)
• Djibouti — −US$148.91 million (2024)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — −US$287.3 million (2025)
• Iraq — −US$9.99 billion (2025)
• Israel — −US$2.38 billion (2025)
• Jordan — US$1.71 billion (2024)
• Lebanon — −US$2.04 billion (2023)
• Libya — US$245.34 million (2023)

More economic policy & debt data for Kuwait

• Total reserves, including gold (current US$) — US$51.74 billion (2025)
• Total reserves, excluding gold (current US$) — US$40.65 billion (2025)
• GDP (current US$) — US$157.21 billion (2025)
• GDP (current LCU) — 48.18 billion (2025)
• GDP per capita (current US$) — US$32,312 (2025)
• GDP per capita (current LCU) — 9,902 (2025)
• GNI (current US$) — US$193.99 billion (2024)
• GNI (current LCU) — 59.49 billion (2024)
• GNI per capita (current LCU) — 12,148 (2024)
• General government final consumption expenditure (current US$) — US$41.5 billion (2024)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Kuwait's reserves and related items (current US$, BoP)?

−US$4.07 billion in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1975?

It is down 1,392% from US$315 million in 1975. The highest value was US$8.27 billion in 2020 and the lowest −US$4.07 billion in 2025.

How does Kuwait rank?

124th highest of 134 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in reserves and related items (current US$, BoP) unusual for Kuwait?

In 2025, Kuwait's reserves and related items (current US$, BoP) fell US$1.11 billion on 2024 (from −US$2.96 billion to −US$4.07 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was −US$100.41 million and a typical year strayed about US$3.57 billion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator BN.RES.INCL.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, 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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