China Holds the Most Foreign Currency Reserves

One of the reasons for governments to stack up on foreign currencies, such as the dollar or euro, is that these stocks can be sold to stabilize their own currency if needed. As our infographic shows, China is the biggest holder of foreign currency worldwide. The Chinese central bank has more than once jumped into action and sold off some of its dollars reserve to stabilize the Yuan. Japan and Switzerland are in second and third place, according to figures regularly updated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).