Banque de France assets: non-euro foreign claims
Banque de France assets: non-euro foreign claims stood at 74,979.21 EUR million in Aug 2026, according to ECB Data Portal – Internal liquidity management and TARGET balances (ILM), France. It is one of the indicators in the Banque de France balance sheet table (Value · Monthly), with a complete series running from Jun 2016 to Aug 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Banque de France balance sheet table
| Indicator | 08-2026 | 07-2026 | 06-2026 | 05-2026 | 04-2026 | 03-2026 | 02-2026 | 01-2026 | 12-2025 | 11-2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claims on non-euro area residents in foreign currency2 | 74,979.21 | 74,611.24 | 74,898.44 | 74,250.39 | 73,978.77 | 73,994.38 | 73,047.21 | 73,041.55 | 72,941.12 | 73,250.41 | |
| Receivables from the IMF | 45,879.89 | 45,695.73 | 45,732.66 | 45,435.05 | 45,228.21 | 45,228.21 | 44,638.6 | 44,640.6 | 44,699.87 | 44,878.39 | |
| Balances with banks, securities, loans and other external assets | 29,099.32 | 28,915.51 | 29,165.78 | 28,815.35 | 28,750.57 | 28,766.17 | 28,408.6 | 28,400.95 | 28,241.25 | 28,372.02 |
Understanding banque de France assets: non-euro foreign claims
Claims on non-euro area residents in foreign currency encompass external financial assets held outside the monetary union and denominated in currencies other than the euro. This series aggregates international reserves, foreign deposits, and external marketable instruments distinct from euro-denominated assets and claims on domestic or euro area counterparties. It serves as a measure of external liquidity buffers available for foreign exchange interventions and international settlement obligations.
Evaluation of these external claims requires accounting for both active portfolio management and exchange rate revaluations against the euro. Monthly figures can shift due to currency market movements even when underlying foreign asset quantities remain constant. Observers should verify whether reported changes stem from transactions or valuation effects, and avoid treating these reserves as interchangeable with euro-denominated domestic credit operations.
Frequently asked questions
- What does this series measure?
- Financial assets held outside the euro area and denominated in foreign currencies, functioning as external liquidity buffers.
- How do exchange rates affect the series?
- Fluctuations in currency values against the euro alter the reported euro-denominated value of these external claims each month.
- Can these claims be compared directly to domestic credit?
- No, because foreign currency external claims carry exchange rate risk and serve different policy functions than euro-denominated domestic lending.