Solomon Islands: Total reserves (% of total external debt)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Solomon Islands' total reserves (% of total external debt) fell 15.35 percentage points on 2023 (from 130.39% to 115.04%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +3.9 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 24.13 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 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 58.58 percentage points in 2012 and the biggest yearly fall was 115.95 percentage points in 1980. 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 downward, about 11.93 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 79% 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 2024, Solomon Islands had the 12th 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 Solomon Islands in the 2024 ranking

• Samoa — 9th of 96: 128.56%
• Thailand — 10th of 96: 123.51%
• Vanuatu — 11th of 96: 118.23%
• Cambodia — 13th of 96: 107.29%
• Azerbaijan — 14th of 96: 104.1%
• Guatemala — 15th of 96: 90.22%

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 47 values

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

• Cambodia — 107.29% (2024)
• China — 142.82% (2024)
• Fiji — 41.35% (2024)
• Indonesia — 36.98% (2024)
• Lao PDR — 12.41% (2024)
• Mongolia — 14.49% (2024)
• Myanmar — 76.79% (2023)
• Papua New Guinea — 28.85% (2024)
• Philippines — 77.5% (2024)
• Samoa — 128.56% (2024)

More economic policy & debt data for Solomon Islands

• Grants, excluding technical cooperation (BoP, current US$) — US$191.86 million (2023)
• Technical cooperation grants (BoP, current US$) — US$23.39 million (2023)
• Net bilateral aid flows from DAC donors, Total (current US$) — US$175.09 million (2023)
• Net official development assistance and official aid received (current US$) — US$243.66 million (2023)
• Net official development assistance and official aid received (constant 2023 US$) — US$243.66 million (2023)
• Net official development assistance received (current US$) — US$243.66 million (2023)
• Net official development assistance received (constant 2023 US$) — US$243.66 million (2023)
• Net ODA received per capita (current US$)

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 Solomon Islands's total reserves (% of total external debt)?

115.04% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1978?

It is down 139.21 percentage points from 254.25% in 1978. The highest value was 268.55% in 1979 and the lowest 6.6% in 1991.

How does Solomon Islands rank?

12th highest of 96 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in total reserves (% of total external debt) unusual for Solomon Islands?

In 2024, Solomon Islands' total reserves (% of total external debt) fell 15.35 percentage points on 2023 (from 130.39% to 115.04%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +3.9 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 24.13 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 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 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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