Zimbabwe: Net foreign assets (current LCU)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Zimbabwe's net foreign assets (current LCU) rose 1.36 billion on 2022 (from 191.28 million to 1.55 billion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1989 to 2022), the average change was +6.37 million and a typical year strayed about 47.67 million from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 28.5 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 1.36 billion in 2023 and the biggest yearly fall was 117.93 million 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 upward, about 91.28 million a year. A straight line explains 31% 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, Zimbabwe had the 14th highest value of the 16 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 Zimbabwe in the 2023 ranking

• Aruba — 11th of 16: 3.06 billion
• Barbados — 12th of 16: 2.26 billion
• São Tomé and Principe — 13th of 16: 1.56 billion
• Italy — 15th of 16: -136.26 billion
• Viet Nam — 16th of 16: -534.88 billion

What this measures

Net foreign assets are the sum of foreign assets held by monetary authorities and deposit money banks, less their foreign liabilities. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This series is expressed in local currency units.

All 46 values

Net foreign assets (current LCU) in nearby economies

• Angola — 12.83 trillion (2025)
• Benin — 2.24 trillion (2025)
• Botswana — 60.03 billion (2025)
• Burkina Faso — 3.31 trillion (2025)
• Burundi — -2.26 trillion (2025)
• Cabo Verde — 118.67 billion (2025)
• Cameroon — 2.35 trillion (2019)
• Central African Republic — 15.18 billion (2022)
• Chad — -347.79 billion (2021)
• Comoros — 126.48 billion (2024)
• Congo, Dem. Rep.

More financial sector data for Zimbabwe

• GDP deflator (base year varies by country) — 2,193 (2025)
• DEC alternative conversion factor (LCU per US$) — US$31.8 (2025)
• Inflation, GDP deflator (annual % growth) — 83.12% (2025)
• Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average) — US$26.6 (2025)
• Net domestic credit (current LCU) — 5.59 billion (2023)
• Broad money (current LCU) — 7.57 billion (2023)
• Broad money (% of GDP) — 11.2% (2023)
• Broad money to total reserves ratio — 34.79 (2023)
• Claims on central government, etc. (% of GDP) — 1.44% (2023)
• Monetary sector credit to private sector (% of GDP)

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 Zimbabwe's net foreign assets (current LCU)?

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

How has it changed since 1975?

It is up 11,064% from 13.93 million in 1975 (10.32% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 1.55 billion in 2023 and the lowest -134.2 million in 2020.

How does Zimbabwe rank?

14th highest of 16 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in net foreign assets (current LCU) unusual for Zimbabwe?

In 2023, Zimbabwe's net foreign assets (current LCU) rose 1.36 billion on 2022 (from 191.28 million to 1.55 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1989 to 2022), the average change was +6.37 million and a typical year strayed about 47.67 million from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 28.5 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator FM.AST.NFRG.CN, 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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