Reserves and related items (BoP, current US$) in Kuwait
Kuwait: Reserves and related items (BoP, current US$) was -4.07 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Reserves and related items in Kuwait, 1975–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in BoP, current US$.
Analysis
Kuwait recorded -4.07 billion BoP, current US$ for reserves and related items in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 49 years on record.
The figure is down 37.4% on the previous year and down 43.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, reserves and related items in Kuwait peaked at 8.27 billion BoP, current US$ in 2020 and was at its lowest, -4.07 billion BoP, current US$, in 2025.
That places Kuwait 185th out of 196 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Reserves and related items (BoP, current US$) in Kuwait, year by year
| Year | BoP, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 315.00 million BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1976 | 247.44 million BoP, current US$ | -21.4% |
| 1977 | 942.63 million BoP, current US$ | +280.9% |
| 1978 | -442.50 million BoP, current US$ | -146.9% |
| 1979 | 365.83 million BoP, current US$ | -182.7% |
| 1980 | 1.05 billion BoP, current US$ | +185.7% |
| 1981 | 316.63 million BoP, current US$ | -69.7% |
| 1982 | 1.97 billion BoP, current US$ | +523.7% |
| 1983 | 1.00 billion BoP, current US$ | -49.3% |
| 1984 | 117.02 million BoP, current US$ | -88.3% |
| 1985 | 544.85 million BoP, current US$ | +365.6% |
| 1986 | -83.31 million BoP, current US$ | -115.3% |
| 1987 | -1.85 billion BoP, current US$ | +2117.1% |
| 1988 | -1.93 billion BoP, current US$ | +4.4% |
| 1989 | 1.28 billion BoP, current US$ | -166.1% |
| 1992 | 1.85 billion BoP, current US$ | +45.2% |
| 1993 | -1.48 billion BoP, current US$ | -179.8% |
| 1994 | 50.35 million BoP, current US$ | -103.4% |
| 1995 | -139.22 million BoP, current US$ | -376.5% |
| 1996 | -23.57 million BoP, current US$ | -83.1% |
| 1997 | 7.05 million BoP, current US$ | -129.9% |
| 1998 | 259.03 million BoP, current US$ | +3575.5% |
| 1999 | 918.09 million BoP, current US$ | +254.4% |
| 2000 | 2.27 billion BoP, current US$ | +147.1% |
| 2001 | 2.91 billion BoP, current US$ | +28.2% |
| 2002 | -969.85 million BoP, current US$ | -133.3% |
| 2003 | -1.82 billion BoP, current US$ | +88.1% |
| 2004 | 626.06 million BoP, current US$ | -134.3% |
| 2005 | 619.33 million BoP, current US$ | -1.1% |
| 2006 | 3.58 billion BoP, current US$ | +478.6% |
| 2007 | 3.22 billion BoP, current US$ | -10.2% |
| 2008 | 647.36 million BoP, current US$ | -79.9% |
| 2009 | 3.76 billion BoP, current US$ | +480.6% |
| 2010 | 610.78 million BoP, current US$ | -83.7% |
| 2011 | 4.47 billion BoP, current US$ | +632.1% |
| 2012 | 3.36 billion BoP, current US$ | -24.9% |
| 2013 | 3.36 billion BoP, current US$ | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 1.25 billion BoP, current US$ | -62.7% |
| 2015 | -2.83 billion BoP, current US$ | -325.8% |
| 2016 | 3.05 billion BoP, current US$ | -207.8% |
| 2017 | 2.00 billion BoP, current US$ | -34.3% |
| 2018 | 3.69 billion BoP, current US$ | +84.1% |
| 2019 | 2.76 billion BoP, current US$ | -25.3% |
| 2020 | 8.27 billion BoP, current US$ | +199.9% |
| 2021 | -3.22 billion BoP, current US$ | -138.9% |
| 2022 | 3.71 billion BoP, current US$ | -215.3% |
| 2023 | -433.45 million BoP, current US$ | -111.7% |
| 2024 | -2.96 billion BoP, current US$ | +583.3% |
| 2025 | -4.07 billion BoP, current US$ | +37.4% |
Kuwait compared with similar countries
- Kuwait's -4.07 billion BoP, current US$ is below the median for high income countries, which is 345.55 million BoP, current US$. (68 countries reporting)
- Kuwait's -4.07 billion BoP, current US$ is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 248.82 million BoP, current US$. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Reserves and related items (BoP, current US$) in Kuwait changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | +3575.5% | 7.05 million BoP, current US$ | 259.03 million BoP, current US$ |
| 1987 | -2117.1% | -83.31 million BoP, current US$ | -1.85 billion BoP, current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 285.68 million BoP, current US$ | -442.50 million BoP, current US$ | 942.63 million BoP, current US$ | 5 |
| 1980s | 241.77 million BoP, current US$ | -1.93 billion BoP, current US$ | 1.97 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 180.69 million BoP, current US$ | -1.48 billion BoP, current US$ | 1.85 billion BoP, current US$ | 8 |
| 2000s | 1.48 billion BoP, current US$ | -1.82 billion BoP, current US$ | 3.76 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.17 billion BoP, current US$ | -2.83 billion BoP, current US$ | 4.47 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 215.33 million BoP, current US$ | -4.07 billion BoP, current US$ | 8.27 billion BoP, current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kuwait
- 182 Israel -2.38 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 183 Panama -2.68 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 184 Bulgaria -3.56 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 186 South Korea -4.53 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 187 Kazakhstan -5.37 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 188 Philippines -5.66 billion BoP, current US$ compare
More economy & growth data for Kuwait
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate 10.23 % change on previous year (2024)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.82 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.61 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.56 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0284 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 916.14 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 0.517 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0207 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 668.96 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 2.97 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is reserves and related items in Kuwait?
- Reserves and related items in Kuwait was -4.07 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest reserves and related items recorded in Kuwait?
- The highest recorded value was 8.27 billion BoP, current US$ in 2020.
- What is the lowest reserves and related items recorded in Kuwait?
- The lowest recorded value was -4.07 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025.
- How does Kuwait rank for reserves and related items?
- Kuwait ranks 185th out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is reserves and related items rising or falling in Kuwait?
- Over the last ten years it is down 43.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kuwait data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Reserves and related items (BoP, current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 49 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
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.