The Monetary Authority of Macao announced today that the preliminary estimate of Macao SAR’s foreign exchange reserves amounted to MOP283.3 billion (USD35.46 billion) at the end of January 2012. The reserves rose by 4.0% from the revised value of MOP272.4 billion (USD34.03 billion) for the previous month. When compared with a year earlier, the reserves increased by MOP91.3 billion or 47.6%. Macao SAR’s foreign exchange reserves at end-January 2012 represented 47 times the currency in circulation or 366.6% of Pataca M2 at end-December 2011.

The trade-weighted effective exchange rate index for the pataca, a gauge of the domestic currency’s exchange rates against the currencies of Macao’s major trading partners, rose by 0.20 points month-to-month but fell by 0.23 points year-on-year to 88.60 in January 2012.

For enquiry, please contact:

Research and Statistics Department, Monetary Authority of Macao (Tel: 83952532; Fax: 28353042)