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

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Lebanon's reserves and related items (current US$, BoP) rose US$2.43 billion on 2022 (from −US$4.47 billion to −US$2.04 billion).

Across the 20 yearly changes before that (2003 to 2022), the average change was −US$256.67 million and a typical year strayed about US$4.66 billion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 standard deviations above 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$8 billion in 2008 and the biggest yearly fall was US$11.73 billion in 2020. 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 US$1.12 billion 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 2023, Lebanon had the 11th 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 Lebanon in the 2023 ranking

• Aruba — 8th of 11: −US$145.5 million
• South Sudan — 9th of 11: −US$157.01 million
• Benin — 10th of 11: −US$1.22 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 22 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)
• Kuwait — −US$4.07 billion (2025)
• Libya — US$245.34 million (2023)

More economic policy & debt data for Lebanon

• Total reserves, including gold (current US$) — US$33.3 billion (2024)
• Total reserves, excluding gold (current US$) — US$9.24 billion (2024)
• Grants, excluding technical cooperation (BoP, current US$) — US$1.42 billion (2023)
• Technical cooperation grants (BoP, current US$) — US$330.71 million (2023)
• Net bilateral aid flows from DAC donors, Total (current US$) — US$1.43 billion (2023)
• Net official development assistance and official aid received (current US$) — US$1.75 billion (2023)
• Net official development assistance and official aid received (constant 2023 US$) — US$1.75 billion (2023)
• Net official development assistance received (current US$) — US$1.75 billion (2023)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

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

−US$2.04 billion in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2002?

It is down 406.6% from US$664.24 million in 2002. The highest value was US$8.94 billion in 2009 and the lowest −US$14.12 billion in 2020.

How does Lebanon rank?

11th highest of 11 economies with data for 2023.

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

In 2023, Lebanon's reserves and related items (current US$, BoP) rose US$2.43 billion on 2022 (from −US$4.47 billion to −US$2.04 billion). Across the 20 yearly changes before that (2003 to 2022), the average change was −US$256.67 million and a typical year strayed about US$4.66 billion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 standard deviations above 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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