The financial reserve of Macau has experienced significant growth, with assets increasing by 42.5 billion patacas (4.61 billion euros) in the first nine months, according to a report by the Monetary Authority of Macau (AMCM) published in the semi-autonomous region’s Official Bulletin.
This marks the best start to a year since the first nine months of 2019, during which the reserve appreciated by 64.7 billion patacas (7 billion euros).
The AMCM reported that the reserve has already surpassed the growth seen in 2024, when assets rose by 35.7 billion patacas (3.87 billion euros), the highest annual growth since the pandemic began.
Last year recorded the highest increase since 2019, when Macau’s financial reserve value rose by 70.6 billion patacas (7.65 billion euros).
In September alone, the reserve increased by 5.49 billion patacas (594.4 million euros), reaching a total of 658.7 billion patacas (71.37 billion euros), the highest value in over four years.
The financial reserve of Macau is now at its highest level since April 2021, standing at 658.8 billion patacas (71.38 billion euros).
However, it remains below the historical record of 663.6 billion patacas (71.9 billion euros) recorded at the end of February 2021, despite the pandemic’s impact on the territory at that time.
The extraordinary reserve at the end of September this year amounted to 456.5 billion patacas (49.5 billion euros), while the basic reserve, which equates to 150% of Macau’s public budget, was 167.3 billion patacas (18.1 billion euros).
The initial budget for the territory in 2025 anticipated a 7% increase in total expenditures, amounting to 109.4 billion patacas (11.9 billion euros).
In July, the Legislative Assembly (AL) approved a government proposal for a new budget, which includes an additional expenditure of 2.86 billion patacas (309.9 million euros).
On Tuesday, the AL unanimously approved the budget for 2026, projecting public expenditures of 113.5 billion patacas (12.3 billion euros).
Subcontracted investments form the largest portion of Macau’s financial reserve, totaling 281.3 billion patacas (30.5 billion euros). This includes deposits and current accounts amounting to 265.4 billion patacas (28.7 billion euros) and consists of credit securities totaling 109.4 billion patacas (11.9 billion euros).
In 2024, investments yielded nearly 31 billion patacas (3.36 billion euros) for the financial reserve, resulting in a return rate of 5.3%, as stated by the AMCM at the end of February.
