Foreign exchange and gold reserves are considered to be a country’s emergency savings account. They help governments pay for imports, stabilize the currency, repay external debt, and build investor confidence. When reserves are strong, a country has financial breathing room. But when they are very low, even small economic shocks can turn into serious crises.
In 2025, while economic giants like China, Japan, Switzerland, the United States, and India hold hundreds of billions or even trillions of dollars in reserves, some countries are surviving on less than half a billion dollars in foreign exchange and gold. This major contrast unveils how unequal the global financial system really is.
The countries with the lowest reserves in 2025 are mostly conflict-affected, fragile, or heavily indebted economies. Their small reserve buffers limit their ability to:
• Pay for essential imports like fuel, food, and medicine
• Defend their currency during speculative attacks or depreciation
• Attract foreign investors who look for macroeconomic stability
• Handle global price shocks or sudden capital outflows
Because of low reserves, these countries are often forced to devalue their currency, raise interest rates sharply, or seek emergency loans from international institutions, all of which can intensify poverty and inflation.
Countries with Lowest Foreign Exchange and Gold Reserves
1. Somalia – $16,747,500
Somalia has less than $17 million in reserves, Somalia now stands at the bottom of the list. Decades of conflict, weak institutions, and limited formal exports make it extremely vulnerable to external shocks.
2. Burkina Faso – $47,138,000
Political instability and security challenges have taken a toll on economic performance, keeping reserves extremely low.
Read more: Which countries hold the most gold reserves?
3. Zimbabwe – $115,530,000
Long-standing issues such as hyperinflation, currency crisis, and weak investor confidence mean Zimbabwe’s reserve levels remain fragile.
4. South Sudan – $183,615,000
Highly dependent on oil, South Sudan’s low reserves leave it exposed to fluctuations in global oil prices and internal instability.
5. Sudan – $206,763,700
Economic sanctions, political unrest, and structural weaknesses have constrained Sudan’s ability to build a solid reserve buffer.
6. Chad – $211,591,000
Chad’s economy, also reliant on commodities, struggles with debt and limited diversification, keeping reserves under pressure.
7. Eritrea – $225,014,976
Isolation, limited trade, and weak integration into the global economy have contributed to its low foreign exchange and gold reserves.
8. Syria – $341,962,500
Years of conflict have devastated infrastructure, exports, and financial capacity, leading to severely depleted reserves.
9. Central African Republic – $374,405,000
One of the world’s poorest and most fragile states, the CAR encounters chronic conflict and underinvestment, reflected in its low reserves.
10. Belize – $473,729,000
While more stable than many others on this list, Belize is a small, vulnerable economy with limited export capacity and a narrow reserve base.
In a volatile global environment which is characterized by skyrocketing interest rates, energy price shocks, and geopolitical tensions—countries with such low foreign exchange and gold reserves are at higher risk of currency crises, inflation spikes, and debt distress.
These nations must have to manage every dollar carefully, they need to prioritize short-term survival over long-term development. For investors, policymakers, and analysts, this list serves as a reminder of where global financial vulnerabilities are most concentrated in 2025.