Friday, April 30 2021 16:14

ArmInfo. Armenia's gross international reserves increased in the first quarter of 2021 by  15.1% or by $ 393.7 million, amounting to $ 3.009 billion, as  evidenced by the data of the Central Bank of Armenia. Of these, the  lion's share - $ 3.003 billion - falls on foreign assets in hard  currency, and the SDR share in the IMF amounted to $ 2.9 million.  According to the regulator's report, for the first quarter of this  year foreign assets in hard currency increased by 15.2%, while the  share of SDR in the IMF decreased by 67.3%.

The annual dynamics (March 2021 versus March 2020) also turned out to  be ascending: the GDP increased by 16.5% or by $ 427.1 million, with  a similar growth in foreign assets in hard currency by 16.4% and an  increase in the share of SDR in the IMF by 7.7%.

At the same time, in March alone, the gross international reserves  decreased by 5.5%, after the February jump by 33%. A similar  volatility on a monthly basis was observed for foreign assets in hard  currency. At the same time, the share of SDR in the IMF decreased  monthly during the first quarter, accelerating the pace from January  30% to March 33%.

To note for comparison that in the first quarter of 2020, the  dynamics of the gross international reserves was downward: foreign  assets in hard currency decreased by 9.3%, the share of SDR in the  IMF sank by 55.7%, which ultimately reduced the gross international  reserves by 9.4%. However, in y-o-y terms (March 2020 to March 2019),  there was an upward trend: gross international reserves increased by  19.9% due to a similar increase in foreign assets in hard currency,  with an increase in the share of SDR in the IMF by 29.5%. And in  March 2020 alone, the gross international reserves accelerated the  decline from 0.5% to 2.9%, with a similar deepening of the decline in  foreign assets in hard currency - from 0.4% to 2.8% and the continued  decrease in the share of SDR in the IMF from 20.5 % up to 32.8%.

To recall, at the end of 2020, Armenia's gross international reserves  amounted to $ 2.616 billion, foreign assets in hard currency - $  2.607 billion, and the share of SDR in the IMF - $ 9 million.  In  2020, the gross international reserves decreased by 8.2% (against an  increase of 26.1% in 2019), foreign assets in hard currency - by  8.3%, and the share of SDR - by 46%, against an increase of 26.2% and  3,2% respectively in 2019. During 2020, the downward trend in the  gross international reserves was observed in January-April, then in  May an upward trend emerged, after which the decline resumed,  persisting until December. The share of SDR in the IMF also declined  in the first four months, having jumped sharply in May, after which  the decline resumed, with a monthly moderate decline observed in  June-November, and a sharp one in December. Foreign assets in hard  currency showed an upward trend in May, August and December. The  share of bank gold in the gross international reserves of Armenia was  zeroed back in December 2003.