China vs Japan: Total reserves
Total reserves over time
- China
- Japan
How they compare
China currently reports 3.75 trillion includes gold, current US$ against 1.37 trillion includes gold, current US$ in Japan, a difference of 2.38 trillion includes gold, current US$.
That makes China's figure about 2.7 times Japan's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 49 shared years of data; in 1977 it was Japan ahead.
China ranks 1st and Japan ranks 3rd of 180 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, China averaged higher in 3 and Japan in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Japan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5.87 billion includes gold, current US$ | 31.89 billion includes gold, current US$ | 26.01 billion includes gold, current US$ | Japan |
| 1980s | 18.10 billion includes gold, current US$ | 55.83 billion includes gold, current US$ | 37.73 billion includes gold, current US$ | Japan |
| 1990s | 84.53 billion includes gold, current US$ | 165.26 billion includes gold, current US$ | 80.72 billion includes gold, current US$ | Japan |
| 2000s | 960.62 billion includes gold, current US$ | 754.94 billion includes gold, current US$ | 205.68 billion includes gold, current US$ | China |
| 2010s | 3.35 trillion includes gold, current US$ | 1.25 trillion includes gold, current US$ | 2.10 trillion includes gold, current US$ | China |
| 2020s | 3.46 trillion includes gold, current US$ | 1.32 trillion includes gold, current US$ | 2.14 trillion includes gold, current US$ | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher total reserves, China or Japan?
- China, at 3.75 trillion includes gold, current US$ against 1.37 trillion includes gold, current US$ in Japan as of 2025.
- What is the difference in total reserves between China and Japan?
- 2.38 trillion includes gold, current US$, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Japan?
- 49 years are reported by both, from 1977 to 2025.
- How do China and Japan rank globally for total reserves?
- China ranks 1st and Japan ranks 3rd of 180 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as Total reserves (includes gold, current US$). 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.