MINSK, Jan 6 : Belarus’ gold and foreign exchange reserves have risen to a new historical high of over USD 14.4 billion, the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus said on Tuesday.
“Belarus’ gold and foreign exchange reserves increased by USD 5.5 billion over the year and as of January 1, 2026, exceeded USD 14.4 billion,” the central bank said in a statement.
According to the regulator, the annual increase in reserves amounted to 61.68 percent. In December alone, Belarus’ reserves grew by USD 526.2 million, or 3.8 percent. Monetary gold reserves rose by 65.18 percent year-on-year to USD 7.47 billion as of January 1, 2026.
In August, Belarusian central bank governor Roman Golovchenko said that the European country had for the first time accumulated reserves equivalent to three months of its imports, which is a benchmark of financial stability. Golovchenko added that the near-doubling of the price of gold was the primary factor driving the reserve growth.
The Belarusian government set out to increase international reserve assets to at least USD 7.1 billion by the end of 2025. In 2024, Belarus’ reserves grew by 9.8 percent, exceeding the annual forecast.
The monetary policy targets for 2026, approved by a decree of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, stipulate that by the end of this year, the country’s reserves should total no less than USD 9.2 billion.
(UNI)