Australia vs South Africa: Total reserves
Total reserves over time
- Australia
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 76.02 billion includes gold, current US$ against 72.63 billion includes gold, current US$ in Australia, a difference of 3.39 billion includes gold, current US$.
The two have swapped places 13 times across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Australia ahead.
Australia ranks 38th and South Africa ranks 36th of 181 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Australia averaged higher in 6 and South Africa in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.46 billion includes gold, current US$ | 813.38 million includes gold, current US$ | 644.38 million includes gold, current US$ | Australia |
| 1970s | 4.34 billion includes gold, current US$ | 2.53 billion includes gold, current US$ | 1.81 billion includes gold, current US$ | Australia |
| 1980s | 10.82 billion includes gold, current US$ | 3.45 billion includes gold, current US$ | 7.37 billion includes gold, current US$ | Australia |
| 1990s | 16.83 billion includes gold, current US$ | 4.09 billion includes gold, current US$ | 12.74 billion includes gold, current US$ | Australia |
| 2000s | 32.91 billion includes gold, current US$ | 19.90 billion includes gold, current US$ | 13.01 billion includes gold, current US$ | Australia |
| 2010s | 52.03 billion includes gold, current US$ | 49.26 billion includes gold, current US$ | 2.77 billion includes gold, current US$ | Australia |
| 2020s | 58.64 billion includes gold, current US$ | 62.85 billion includes gold, current US$ | 4.21 billion includes gold, current US$ | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher total reserves, Australia or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 76.02 billion includes gold, current US$ against 72.63 billion includes gold, current US$ in Australia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in total reserves between Australia and South Africa?
- 3.39 billion includes gold, current US$, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and South Africa?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Australia and South Africa rank globally for total reserves?
- Australia ranks 38th and South Africa ranks 36th of 181 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as Total reserves (includes gold, current US$). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
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 in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.