Want to Really Get Scared? What Is The Federal Reserve Holding In Assets? Answer: It's Own Paper

Statistical Supplement to the Federal Reserve Bulletin, August 2008

3.12 U.S. Reserve Assets

Millions of dollars, end of period

Asset		2005	2006	2007	2007	2008
					Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	June	Julyp
1	Total	65,127	65,895	70,565	70,565	72,017	73,404	75,764	74,372	75,170	75,740	74,832
2	Gold stock1	11,043	11,041	11,041	11,041	11,041	11,041	11,041	11,041	11,041	11,041	11,041
3	Special drawing rights2, 3	8,210	8,870	9,476	9,476	9,566	9,688	9,892	9,767	9,771	9,849	9,772
4	Reserve position in International Monetary Fund2	8,036	5,040	4,244	4,244	4,237	4,280	4,302	4,253	5,111	5,237	4,930
5	Foreign currencies4	37,838	40,943	45,804	45,804	47,173	48,395	50,529	49,311	49,247	49,613	49,089

Note: The data presented in this table are available in the monthly statistical release "U.S. Reserve Assets; Foreign Official Assets Held at Federal Reserve Banks." 1. Gold held "under earmark" at Federal Reserve Banks for foreign and international accounts is not included in the gold stock of the United States; see table 3.13, line 3. Gold stock is valued at $42.22 per fine troy ounce. Return to table 2. Special drawing rights (SDRs) are valued according to a technique adopted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in July 1974. Values are based on a weighted average of exchange rates for the currencies of member countries. From July 1974 through December 1980, sixteen currencies were used; since January 1981, five currencies have been used. U.S. SDR holdings and reserve positions in the IMF have also been valued on this basis since July 1974. Return to table 3. Includes allocations of SDRs by the International Monetary Fund on Jan. 1 of the year indicated, as follows: 1970--$867 million; 1971--$717 million; 1972--$710 million; 1979--$1,139 million; 1980--$1,152 million; 1981--$1,093 million; plus net transactions in SDRs. Return to table 4. Includes holdings of Treasury and Federal Reserve System; beginning November 1978, these are valued at current market exchange rates or, where appropriate, at such other rates as may be agreed upon by the parties to the transactions. Excludes outstanding reciprocal currency swaps with the European Central Bank and the Swiss National Bank. At end-December 2007 and end-January 2008 swaps outstanding were $20 billion and $4 billion respectively. At end-February there were no swaps outstanding. At end-March swaps outstanding were $15 billion and $6 billion respectively. At end-April swaps outstanding were $30 billion and $6 billion respectively. At end-May, end-June, and end-July swaps outstanding were $50 billion and $12 billion respectively. Return to table

3.13 Foreign Official Assets Held at Federal Reserve Banks¹

Millions of dollars, end of period

Asset		2005	2006	2007	2007	2008
					Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	June	Julyp
1	Deposits	83	98	96	96	114	96	98	105	99	211	103
	Held in custody
2	U.S. Treasury securities2	1,069,014	1,133,969	1,191,706	1,191,706	1,235,576	1,244,808	1,275,124	1,310,649	1,315,616	1,348,988	1,375,199
3	Earmarked gold3	8,967	8,967	8,710	8,710	8,697	8,643	8,595	8,548	8,534	8,521	8,494

Note: The data presented in this table are available in the monthly statistical release "U.S. Reserve Assets; Foreign Official Assets Held at Federal Reserve Banks." 1. Excludes deposits and U.S. Treasury securities held for international and regional organizations. Return to table 2. Marketable U.S. Treasury bills, notes, and bonds and nonmarketable U.S. Treasury securities, in each case measured at face (not market) value. Return to table 3. Held in foreign and international accounts and valued at $42.22 per fine troy ounce; not included in the gold stock of the United States. Return to table

Release Dates | PDF (30 KB)

---

Economic research and data
Accessibility | Contact us
Last update: August 28, 2008