Gold is a popular investment among central banks because it can act as a safe haven in times of economic or geopolitical uncertainty. Its popularity has grown as more and more countries seek to diversify their portfolios in light of increasing global debt.
The world’s largest gold reserves can be found in the United States, Germany, Italy, France, Russia, and China. The top five gold holders account for 55% of the world’s total reserve holdings.
United States
The United States is home to the largest gold reserves in the world. These huge stacks of bullion represent a failsafe against economic crises, inflation and recession.
About half of the Treasury’s gold (147.3 million troy ounces) is stored in Fort Knox, Kentucky. Other gold is kept at US Mint facilities in Denver and West Point, New York.
Germany
Germany is home to the world’s largest gold reserves at 3,362.4 tons. The bulk of this is held at the Deutsche Bundesbank in Frankfurt am Main, alongside vaults in New York and London.
This makes it one of the most secure places to store gold bullion. However, the Bundesbank is also constantly under scrutiny. It has received a lot of criticism over how it transferred its reserves in the past.
Italy
The largest gold reserves in Italy are held at the Banca d’Italia, which is a part of the European Central Bank. Its gold is mainly stored in the Palazzo Koch vaults in Rome but also in the vaults of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Bank of England.
The Italian government has no intention of selling its gold to plug budget holes. A ruling League lawmaker said the party wants to keep it, saying it is a symbol of the country’s stability and establishment.
France
France is one of the most visited countries in the world, and it has a reputation for its cuisine and culture. It is a member of the European Union (EU) and has many overseas territories.
The country has a mixed economy, which combines a variety of private freedoms with centralized economic planning and government regulation. Its business community is well-connected and innovative, and its infrastructure and communication systems are world-class.
The French government has a strong commitment to defending its citizens from external threats, including terrorism and climate change. It has recently launched a series of economic reforms to improve competitiveness and boost growth.
Russia
Russia is the largest country in the world, stretching across most of northern Asia and much of Eastern Europe. It has a population of more than 190 million people.
It’s also a very large economy that exports and imports commodities, including petroleum products, energy, metals, chemicals, machinery, food and textiles.
Despite the fact that the United States and other countries have imposed sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, it’s not impossible that Russian gold is still moving around the world. That’s because gold is so easily transported and re-refined.
China
The largest gold reserves in the world are held by the People’s Republic of China. This is despite the fact that it hasn’t been purchasing gold for its reserves for three years now.
The Chinese government has been slowly but surely accumulating gold since the 2000s, behind closed doors. This is believed to be done to diversify the country away from its reliance on the US dollar and increase its international reputation.
The Chinese gold market is dominated by two state-owned entities, the PBoC and SAFE. The former is responsible for current and capital accounts, while the latter oversees foreign exchange markets and intervention operations with China’s foreign currency reserves.
