Egypt's Foreign Reserves Exceed $49 Billion for First Time in History

The Central Bank of Egypt announced that the country’s foreign currency reserves rose to approximately $49.036 billion in July 2025, surpassing the $49 billion mark for the first time in Egypt’s history. 

This increase comes after the reserves stood at around $48.7 billion at the end of June 2025, reflecting a rise of $336 million.

Egypt’s foreign reserves are composed of a basket of major global currencies, including the US dollar, the euro, the British pound, the Japanese yen, and the Chinese yuan. The composition and distribution of these reserves are adjusted based on exchange rates and the stability of these currencies in international markets, according to a plan set by the Central Bank of Egypt’s officials.

The primary function of Egypt’s foreign currency reserves is to ensure the availability of essential goods, pay off external debt installments and interest, and manage economic crises, particularly during exceptional circumstances. This is especially important as the country continues to face challenges related to hard currency revenue from key sectors.

Earlier, the Central Bank reported a slight increase in reserves for June 2025, which stood at $48.7 billion, compared to $48.526 billion at the end of May 2025, showing an increase of $174 million. Additionally, Egypt’s net foreign assets in the banking sector, including both the central bank and commercial banks, grew by $231 million to reach $14.941 billion by the end of June 2025, compared to $14.71 billion at the end of May 2025.

The Central Bank also revealed that net foreign assets in commercial banks increased by 1.1%, reaching their highest level in four years, totaling $4.88 billion by the end of June. The surplus in foreign assets held by the Central Bank itself also rose by 2.1%, reaching $10.1 billion (approximately EGP 499.6 billion) by the end of June 2025, compared to $9.88 billion (around EGP 492.3 billion) in May 2025.