Bank Negara Malaysia published its international reserves position as at 14 February 2025, reporting reserves of USD117.7 billion. The level was assessed as sufficient to finance 5.0 months of imports of goods and services and equivalent to 0.9 times total short-term external debt. Under the previous import coverage measure, the same reserves level would have covered 5.8 months of retained imports of goods. The short-term external debt ratio combines reserves data as at 14 February 2025 with short-term external debt data as at the fourth quarter of 2024, with the debt valued using the exchange rate as at the fourth quarter of 2024; Bank Negara Malaysia noted that short-term external debt largely reflects resident banks’ foreign currency liquidity operations and multinational corporations’ borrowing from overseas parents, and that these obligations are typically met from external asset holdings rather than Bank Negara Malaysia’s reserves.
Bank Negara Malaysia 2025-02-21
Bank Negara Malaysia reports USD117.7 billion in international reserves equal to 5.0 months of imports and 0.9 times short-term external debt
Bank Negara Malaysia reported international reserves of USD117.7 billion as of 14 February 2025, sufficient to finance 5.0 months of imports and equivalent to 0.9 times total short-term external debt. The reserves would have covered 5.8 months of retained imports under the previous measure. Short-term external debt primarily reflects resident banks' foreign currency operations and multinational corporations' borrowing, typically met from external assets rather than reserves.