The Monetary Authority of Macao announced today that the preliminary estimate of Macao SAR’s foreign exchange reserves amounted to MOP204.1 billion (USD25.45 billion) at the end of March 2011. The reserves rose by 4.0% from the revised value of MOP196.2 billion (USD24.44 billion) for the previous month. When compared with a year earlier, the reserves increased by MOP47.9 billion or 30.6%. Macao SAR’s foreign exchange reserves at end-March 2011 represented 35 times the currency in circulation or 288.9% of Pataca M2 at end-February 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, fell by 0.49 points month-to-month and 2.80 points year-on-year to 87.72 in March 2011.

For enquiry, please contact:

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