Despite the coronavirus crisis, foreign exchange reserves at the end of December 2020 reached a new high for the second month in a row, reaching $173.31 billion.
The high is an increase of 37.53% or $47.29 billion compared to the end of December, 2019, and an increase of 3.81% or $6.36 billion compared to the previous month. Balances at the end of December account for 43.3% of GDP.
The increase in balances compared to the previous month is explained, among other things, by foreign currency purchases by the Bank of Israel in the amount of approximately $4.405 billion.