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Government & Public Finance•Series ID: ARFXORORA•1969–2026

Official Foreign Exchange & Gold Reserves - Historical Data

Comprises foreign exchange reserves, gold bullion, Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), and Australia’s reserve position in the IMF.

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Current Statistics & Historical Records

Latest Reading (Sep 2026)
$109.7b
Prev (Aug 2026): $106.0b+3,696
Highest Recorded (Dec 2025)
$112.5b

Disinflation & monetary policy recalibration

Lowest Recorded (Dec 1969)
$1,126m

Recorded in Dec 1969

Long-Run Mean (1969–2026)
$36,880m

58 annual observations · Monthly

Official Foreign Exchange & Gold Reserves - Historical Series (1969–2026)

A$ million

Drag to pan, scroll to zoom, or toggle between full annual history (1969–2026) and recent monthly releases.

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Source: Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) / Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (ARFXORORA) Latest: 109715 A$ million (Sep 2026)

Official Foreign Exchange & Gold Reserves by Decade (1969–2026)

Decade averages, peaks, and troughs across Australian economic cycles

1960s1969–1969
$1,126m
High (1969):$1,126
Low (1969):$1,126
1970s1970–1979
$3,319m
High (1972):$4,816
Low (1970):$1,511
1980s1980–1989
$13,176m
High (1989):$21,487
Low (1981):$4,360
1990s1990–1999
$23,666m
High (1999):$33,576
Low (1994):$18,417
2000s2000–2009
$45,344m
High (2006):$69,605
Low (2007):$30,521
2010s2010–2019
$64,231m
High (2017):$85,350
Low (2010):$41,590
2020s2020–2026
$91,504m
High (2025):$112,452
Low (2020):$55,839

Official Foreign Exchange & Gold Reserves - Historical Table (1969–2026)

Unit: A$ million · Source: Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) / Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (ARFXORORA)

Download full CSV (58 rows) ↓
YearOfficial Reserve Assets (A$ million)Year Range (Low – High)Historical Context / Year Snapshot
2026$109,715$100,570 – $109,715 The Australian Economy in 2026 →
2025$112,452$101,948 – $112,452Disinflation & monetary policy recalibration
2024$102,343$89,359 – $102,343 The Australian Economy in 2024 →
2023$93,916$84,478 – $94,876 The Australian Economy in 2023 →
2022$85,445$77,014 – $86,777Post-pandemic inflation surge & rapid RBA tightening cycle
2021$80,816$54,829 – $82,142 The Australian Economy in 2021 →
2020$55,839$55,839 – $90,562COVID-19 pandemic shock & 0.10% cash rate floor
2019$83,844$61,319 – $83,844 The Australian Economy in 2019 →
2018$76,331$64,038 – $82,465 The Australian Economy in 2018 →
2017$85,350$59,181 – $85,350 The Australian Economy in 2017 →
2016$74,036$53,400 – $74,036 The Australian Economy in 2016 →
2015$62,582$54,922 – $71,285 The Australian Economy in 2015 →
2014$65,705$51,806 – $65,705 The Australian Economy in 2014 →
2013$59,485$43,737 – $59,883 The Australian Economy in 2013 →
2012$47,306$44,089 – $53,214 The Australian Economy in 2012 →
2011$46,085$35,738 – $46,085China mining investment & Terms of Trade supercycle peak
2010$41,590$41,184 – $47,536 The Australian Economy in 2010 →
2009$46,516$45,929 – $55,454 The Australian Economy in 2009 →
2008$47,528$35,278 – $47,528Global Financial Crisis (GFC) & emergency rate cuts
2007$30,521$30,521 – $84,610 The Australian Economy in 2007 →
2006$69,605$56,127 – $69,605 The Australian Economy in 2006 →
2005$58,957$43,891 – $58,957 The Australian Economy in 2005 →
2004$47,394$39,675 – $53,236 The Australian Economy in 2004 →
2003$44,333$33,076 – $47,380 The Australian Economy in 2003 →
2002$38,078$32,618 – $38,769 The Australian Economy in 2002 →
2001$36,549$33,840 – $39,216 The Australian Economy in 2001 →
2000$33,962$23,303 – $35,768Introduction of the 10% Goods and Services Tax (GST)
1999$33,576$22,507 – $33,576 The Australian Economy in 1999 →
1998$25,044$21,529 – $25,703 The Australian Economy in 1998 →
1997$26,197$21,486 – $26,197 The Australian Economy in 1997 →
1996$21,848$17,820 – $24,664 The Australian Economy in 1996 →
1995$20,068$18,350 – $21,443 The Australian Economy in 1995 →
1994$18,417$18,417 – $20,834 The Australian Economy in 1994 →
1993$20,955$17,552 – $22,023RBA formalises 2–3% inflation targeting
1992$20,112$19,972 – $23,394 The Australian Economy in 1992 →
1991$25,451$23,505 – $25,451Early 1990s recession ("The recession we had to have")
1990$24,989$20,543 – $24,989Monetary tightening peak (17.5% Cash Rate)
1989$21,487$18,790 – $21,634 The Australian Economy in 1989 →
1988$19,772$16,869 – $20,628 The Australian Economy in 1988 →
1987$17,430$12,604 – $19,858October 1987 sharemarket crash
1986$15,561$12,133 – $15,561 The Australian Economy in 1986 →
1985$12,216$11,918 – $14,041 The Australian Economy in 1985 →
1984$12,058$12,024 – $12,796 The Australian Economy in 1984 →
1983$13,350$9,979 – $13,350Float of the Australian Dollar & Prices and Incomes Accord
1982$10,094$3,912 – $10,094Early 1980s recession & drought
1981$4,360$4,156 – $5,858 The Australian Economy in 1981 →
1980$5,430$5,225 – $6,495 The Australian Economy in 1980 →
1979$4,614$3,377 – $4,614 The Australian Economy in 1979 →
1978$3,200$2,861 – $3,328 The Australian Economy in 1978 →
1977$2,879$2,701 – $3,831 The Australian Economy in 1977 →
1976$3,550$2,503 – $3,550 The Australian Economy in 1976 →
1975$2,588$2,588 – $3,545 The Australian Economy in 1975 →
1974$3,217$3,134 – $3,7501974 wage explosion & stagflation peak
1973$4,091$4,090 – $4,849First OPEC oil shock
1972$4,816$2,871 – $4,816 The Australian Economy in 1972 →
1971$2,726$1,619 – $2,735 The Australian Economy in 1971 →
1970$1,511$1,223 – $1,583 The Australian Economy in 1970 →
1969$1,126$1,126 – $1,342 The Australian Economy in 1969 →

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Reserve Bank of Australia Total AssetsInterest Rates · 2013–2026
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 Compare Official Reserve Assets against another indicator →

Source Information & Methodology

Primary Institution:
Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) / Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
Dataset / Publication:
Holdings of Official Reserve Assets - Total (A$ Million)
Series / Table ID:
RBA Statistical Table A4 (ARFXORORA)
Release Frequency:
Monthly
Licence:
CC BY 4.0 International / RBA Terms

• Primary source: Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) / Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) - Holdings of Official Reserve Assets - Total (A$ Million) (RBA Statistical Table A4).

• Observation frequency: Monthly. Annual table values represent calendar year-end observations.

• Series coverage spans 1969 to 2026 (58 annual observations).

APA Citation:Reserve Bank of Australia & Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2026). Holdings of Official Reserve Assets - Total (A$ Million) (A4: ARFXORORA). Retrieved October 2026 from https://www.rba.gov.au/statistics/tables/

Frequently Asked Questions: Official Foreign Exchange & Gold Reserves

What is the current Official Foreign Exchange & Gold Reserves?
As of Sep 2026, the latest recorded Official Foreign Exchange & Gold Reserves is 109715.0 (A$ million), compared with 106019.0 in Aug 2026.
What is the highest and lowest Official Foreign Exchange & Gold Reserves ever recorded in Australia?
Across the historical series (1969–2026), the highest observation was 112452.0 (A$ million) in Dec 2025, while the lowest was 1126.0 (A$ million) in Dec 1969. The long-run historical average is 36880.0.
Where is the official Official Foreign Exchange & Gold Reserves data sourced from?
This series is compiled from Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) / Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (Holdings of Official Reserve Assets - Total (A$ Million), Series ID: ARFXORORA) and is updated on a monthly basis under CC BY 4.0 International / RBA Terms.