What's New

SDR Map

update Tracker on the Use of Allocated SDRs

newPress Release: IMF Determines New Currency Amounts for the SDR Valuation Basket (July 29, 2022)

newReview of the Method of Valuation of the SDR— Amendment to Rule O-1 (July 29, 2022)

new The IMF’s Resilience and Sustainability Trust

Review of the Method of Valuation of the SDR (May 16, 2022)

IMF Executive Board Concludes Quinquennial SDR Valuation Review and Determines New Currency Weights for SDR Valuation Basket  (May 14, 2022)

Video: The Power of Special Drawing Rights with Ceyla Pazarbasioglu  (February 2, 2022)

Annual Update on SDR Trading Operations (October 28, 2021)

IMF Managing Director Announces the US$650 billion SDR Allocation Comes into Effect (August 23, 2021)

Guidance Note for Fund Staff on the Treatment and Use of SDR Allocations (August 23, 2021)

IMF Governors Approve a Historic US$650 Billion SDR Allocation of Special Drawing Rights (August 2, 2021)

Report of the Managing Director to the Board of Governors and to the Executive Board Pursuant to Article XVIII, Section 4(c) (July 12, 2021)

Allocation of Special Drawing Rights For The Eleventh Basic Period: Draft Executive Board Decision and Managing Director Report to the Board of Governors (July 12, 2021)

Proposal For a General Allocation of Special Drawing Rights (July 12, 2021)

 

 

7 Things You Need to Know about the SDR

 

Let’s start from the beginning – What is an SDR? Is it money? Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) are an asset, though not money in the classic sense because they can’t be used to buy things. The value of an SDR is based on a basket of the world’s five leading currencies – the US dollar, euro, yuan, yen and the UK pound. The SDR is an accounting unit for IMF transactions with member countries – and a stable asset in countries’ international reserves.

Read More

Q&A

Photo: iStock images

Q. How many SDRs have been allocated so far?

The Fund has allocated a total of SDR 660.7 billion (equivalent to about US$935.7 billion), including four general allocations and a one-time special allocation. Specifically:

  • SDR 9.3 billion was allocated in yearly installments in 1970–72.
  • SDR 12.1 billion was allocated in yearly installments in 1979–81.
  • SDR 161.2 billion was allocated on August 28, 2009
  • A special one-time allocation of SDR 21.5 billion took effect on September 9, 2009 to correct for the fact that members that had joined the IMF after 1981 had never received an allocation (the Fourth Amendment special allocation)
  • SDR 456.5 billion (equivalent to about US$650 billion) was allocated on August 23, 2021, by far the largest allocation to date
  • In addition, new members to the Fund receive an SDR allocation upon their participation in the SDR Department
More Q&As

What is the SDR?


Video: What is the SDR?

Factsheet: Special Drawing Rights (SDR) 

The SDR is an international reserve asset, created by the IMF in 1969 to supplement its member countries’ official reserves. To date, a total of SDR 660.7 billion (equivalent to about US$943 billion) have been allocated. This includes the largest-ever allocation of about SDR 456 billion approved on August 2, 2021 (effective on August 23, 2021). This most recent allocation was to address the long-term global need for reserves, and help countries cope with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The value of the SDR is based on a basket of five currencies—the U.S. dollar, the euro, the Chinese renminbi, the Japanese yen, and the British pound sterling.

Read More

SDR Currency Basket

   Currency Weights determined in the 2022 Review Fixed Number of Units of Currency for a 5-year period Starting August 1, 2022
  U.S. Dollar 43.38 0.57813
  Euro 29.31 0.37379
  Chinese Yuan 12.28 1.0993
  Japanese Yen 7.59 13.452
  Pound Sterling 7.44 0.080870

References on SDR

More on SDR