The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced today (Monday) that the official foreign currency reserve assets of Hong Kong amounted to US$123.6 billion at the end of January 2004 (end-December 2003: US$118.4 billion) (Table 1).
According to an HKMA spokesperson, the US$5.2 billion increase in settled foreign currency assets in the month of January was mainly due to the purchase of foreign currencies with Hong Kong dollars and an increase in Certificates of Indebtedness, the latter reflecting the seasonal demand for banknotes around the Lunar New Year.
Including unsettled forward contracts, the foreign currency reserve assets of Hong Kong at the end of January 2004 also stood at US$123.6 billion (end-December 2003: US$118.9 billion).
In terms of foreign currency reserves ranking, Hong Kong is the world's fifth largest holder of foreign currency reserves, after Japan, Mainland China, Taiwan and Korea (Table 2).
The total foreign currency reserve assets of US$123.6 billion represent over six times the currency in circulation or about 45% of Hong Kong dollar M3.
For further enquiries, please contact:
Jasmin Fung, Manager (Press), at 2878 8246 or
Kevin Ip, Manager (Press), at 2878 1687
Hong Kong Monetary Authority
9 February 2004
At present, four press releases relating to the Exchange Fund's data are issued by the HKMA each month. Three of these releases are issued to disseminate monetary data in accordance with the International Monetary Fund's Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS). The fourth press release, on the Exchange Fund's Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account, is made in accordance with the HKMA's policy of maintaining a high level of transparency. For the month of February 2004, the scheduled dates for issuing the press releases are as follows:
9 February |
SDDS International Reserves (Hong Kong's Latest Foreign Currency Reserve Assets Figures) |
16 February |
SDDS Analytical Accounts of the Central Bank (Exchange Fund Balance Sheet Data) |
27 February |
Exchange Fund Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account |
27 February |
SDDS Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity |
Foreign Currency Reserve Assets of Hong Kong
(US$ billion)
Excluding Unsettled FX Contracts |
Unsettled |
Including |
||
Dec 95 |
55.4 |
1.8 |
57.2 |
|
Dec 96 |
63.8 |
5.7 |
69.6 |
|
Dec 97 |
92.8 |
0.4 |
93.2 |
|
Dec 98 |
89.6 |
- |
89.6 |
|
Dec 99 |
96.3 |
- |
96.3 |
|
Dec 00 |
107.5 |
- |
107.5 |
|
Dec 01 |
111.2 |
- |
111.2 |
|
Jan 02 |
111.3 |
- |
111.3 |
|
Feb 02 |
111.3 |
- |
111.3 |
|
Mar 02 |
110.2 |
- |
110.2 |
|
Apr 02 |
110.9 |
- |
110.9 |
|
May 02 |
111.3 |
- |
111.3 |
|
Jun 02 |
112.4 |
- |
112.4 |
|
Jul 02 |
112.5 |
- |
112.5 |
|
Aug 02 |
112.3 |
(0.2) |
112.1 |
|
Sep 02 |
111.2 |
- |
111.2 |
|
Oct 02 |
110.6 |
- |
110.6 |
|
Nov 02 |
111.0 |
- |
111.0 |
|
Dec 02 |
111.9 |
- |
111.9 |
|
Jan 03 |
115.6 |
- |
115.6 |
|
Feb 03 |
113.7 |
- |
113.7 |
|
Mar 03 |
113.6 |
- |
113.6 |
|
Apr 03 |
114.2 |
- |
114.2 |
|
May 03 |
116.1 |
- |
116.1 |
|
Jun 03 |
114.4 |
(0.2) |
114.2 |
|
Jul 03 |
112.6 |
- |
112.6 |
|
Aug 03 |
111.8 |
(0.4) |
111.4 |
|
Sep 03 |
112.1 |
- |
112.1 |
|
Oct 03 |
112.4 |
- |
112.4 |
|
Nov 03 |
114.1 |
- |
114.1 |
|
Dec 03 |
118.4 |
0.5 |
118.9 |
|
Jan 04 * |
123.6 |
- |
123.6 |
Figures for the end of 1995 and 1996 do not include Land Fund figures. The Land Fund was established on 1 July 1997 and its foreign currency reserve assets were included thereafter in the above compilation. The assets of the Land Fund were merged into the Exchange Fund in November 1998.
* The latest monthly figures are preliminary and subject to change.
Official Reserves Ranking
US$ billion |
As at end of |
||
(1) |
Japan |
741.2 |
Jan 2004 |
(2) |
Mainland China |
403.3 |
Dec 2003 |
(3) |
Taiwan |
214.9 |
Jan 2004 |
(4) |
Korea |
157.5 |
Jan 2004 |
(5) |
Hong Kong |
123.6 |
Jan 2004 |
(6) |
India |
105.0 |
Jan 2004 |
(7) |
Singapore |
98.6 |
Jan 2004 |
(8) |
Germany |
96.8 |
Jan 2004 |
(9) |
US |
85.4 |
Jan 2004 |
(10) |
Russia |
84.0 |
Jan 2004 |
Sources : HKMA, Reuters, websites of International Monetary Fund, People's Bank of China