SBP Reserves Rise to $21.52 Billion on 23 October 2026, Pakistan's Total Dips to $26.75 Billion

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) held $21.52 billion of liquid foreign exchange reserves on 23 October 2026, up $33.1 million in a week. Commercial banks held $5.23 billion, down $111.9 million, so Pakistan's total liquid reserves slipped $78.8 million to $26.75 billion.

The SBP figure is the highest weekly level this month and $3.14 billion above where it stood at the end of June. We read the SBP's weekly reserves sheet and home page on 30 October 2026, the day after the bank updated the sheet. Below are the four October weeks side by side, the longer trend, and how to read the sheet yourself.

SBP reserves rose $33.1 million to $21,521.7 million on 23 October

The SBP's own net liquid reserves were $21,521.7 million on Friday 23 October 2026, up from $21,488.6 million on 16 October. That is the fourth weekly rise in a row. Banks' reserves fell to $5,232.5 million, so the total dipped to $26,754.2 million.

The weekly moves are small. From 2 to 23 October, the SBP's reserves rose by $68.0 million and the total fell by $43.2 million. The previous week's figures are in our 16 October reserves report.

Banks' reserves fell $111.9 million, which pulled the total down

Net reserves held by commercial banks fell from $5,344.4 million to $5,232.5 million in the week to 23 October, a drop of $111.9 million. Because the SBP's gain was only $33.1 million, the total fell $78.8 million to $26,754.2 million.

Banks' reserves are the dollars that commercial banks hold, for example to pay for their customers' imports or to meet foreign currency deposits. They move with trade payments and customer flows, so a fall of about $100 million in a week is ordinary. The SBP's own reserves are the ones that matter for loan repayments and for the IMF programme, because the central bank controls them.

The weekly sheet gives no reason for either move. We make no claim about what drove them.

SBP reserves are $3.14 billion higher than at the end of June

The SBP held $18,378.2 million at the end of June 2026. By 23 October it held $21,521.7 million, $3,143.5 million more. Most of that came in September, when month-end reserves jumped from $17,152.8 million in August to $21,510.5 million.

The Finance Division's monthly economic report, published on 29 October, says the July to September quarter brought a balance of payments surplus of $3.1 billion. It credits a Eurobond issue, higher foreign direct investment and remittances of $10.9 billion. It also gives the SBP's reserves as $21.5 billion on 16 October, in line with the SBP sheet.

Why the reserves number matters to you

Reserves are the dollars the country can use to pay for imports and repay foreign loans. When they are steady, the rupee is usually steady too. The SBP's interbank dollar rate has moved only a few paisa this month, staying near Rs 276.75 to Rs 276.82 in the week to 30 October.

For a household, steady reserves mainly mean fewer sudden jumps in the price of imported goods, fuel and phones. They do not guarantee lower prices, because global oil prices and taxes matter too. The way the rupee has moved day by day is in our October dollar rate history.

How to read the SBP weekly reserves sheet yourself

The SBP updates its liquid reserves sheet once a week, usually on Thursday, with figures for the previous Friday. The home page also shows the latest three numbers in a box. These steps take about two minutes.

1. Open the SBP home page and find "Liquid Foreign Exchange Reserves (USD million)".
2. Read the date beside "As on". This is the Friday the figures refer to.
3. For the history, open the weekly reserves PDF.
4. Look under "Week-End Levels" for the latest weeks and "Month-End Levels" for earlier months.
5. Note the "P" (provisional) and "R" (revised) marks, because recent figures can change.

The difference between net, gross and total reserves trips up many readers. Our guide to the SBP reserves sheet explains each column.

Common questions

How much are SBP reserves on 23 October 2026?

$21,521.7 million, or about $21.52 billion, up $33.1 million from 16 October.

What are Pakistan's total liquid reserves now?

$26,754.2 million on 23 October 2026, made up of $21,521.7 million at the SBP and $5,232.5 million at commercial banks.

Did Pakistan's reserves go up or down this week?

The SBP's reserves went up by $33.1 million. The total went down by $78.8 million because banks' reserves fell $111.9 million.

When will the next reserves figure come out?

The SBP normally updates the sheet on Thursday. The figure for Friday 30 October should appear around Thursday 5 November 2026.

Are these figures final?

No. The SBP marks recent figures as provisional, and it sometimes revises them by a few million dollars later.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

We read the SBP home page box ("As on 23-October-2026") and the weekly liquid reserves sheet (file dated 29 October 2026) on 30 October 2026. The month-end rows come from the same sheet. The balance of payments and remittance figures come from the Finance Division's Monthly Economic Update and Outlook for October 2026, dated 29 October. The weekly and monthly changes are our arithmetic. The sheet gives no reason for any weekly move, and we could not verify one.