Check out these 10 countries with the largest gold reserves in the world! This top 10 list features some of the richest and wealthiest countries on earth that have tons of gold bars stacked up somewhere!
10.) India
According to the World Gold Council, the Bank of India currently holds 557.7 tons of gold. It is one of the largest stores of gold in the world! This makes up 9.9 % of the country’s total foreign reserve. Foreign exchange reserves is money or other assets held by a nation’s central bank so they can back the national currency.
India, home to 1.25 billion people, is the number one largest consumer of the precious metal. Furthermore, India is one of the most reliable drivers of global demand. For example, India’s festival and wedding season, which runs from October to December, has historically been a major market for gold. And probably, one of the most interesting facts about India and gold is that India rarely invests much in gold. This is because as a country, India operates under the belief that buying gold leads to a deficit. And their belief must be proving right as things also seem to be improving for India. For instance, if you look at the last few years, India has increased its gold reserves from 557.74 to 557.77. While this might not seem like a lot, India is also at its highest point in history! In addition to what the country holds, Indian households which are considered the world’s largest hoarders of gold, hold a record 23,000-24,000 tons, which is worth about $800 billion.
9.) Netherlands
In the past few years, the Netherlands has held 52% of its foreign reserve in gold. The Netherlands has a reported 612.45 tons. In 2016 it was reported that the bank was looking for a place to store all its gold because they were going to renovate the vaults and needed to moving it. The Dutch central bank is planning to move the country’s gold reserves from the center of Amsterdam to a new complex called the Cash Center. Like most countries, Dutch gold is also held in banks around the world to reduce risk. Security measures to guard the gold 24/7 have become a problem in Amsterdam. 189,000 kilos of gold will be moved at the beginning of 2022.
Maybe this is one reason that over the last decade and a half, the Netherlands was selling off tons of gold in order to reduce its reserve. However, there weren’t that many buyers out there and they sold less than the country wanted. More recently the country has had less ambition to sell gold. Currently, the country holds the same amount of tons, 612.45 that they have over the last few years. However, the country has increased its percentage of foreign reserves to 61.2 %.
8.) Japan
Japan is another country which had been increasing its gold reserves since the 1960’s. Their official gold holdings were reported at 765.2 tons. About 2.4% of Japan’s gold today is in foreign reserve. Historically, Japan has always held a bit more gold than other countries. This was true until 2011, when they began to sell some of their reserve in order to pump money into the economy after the tsunami and the following Fukushima nuclear disaster.
But even with selling, Japan’s central bank has been one of the most aggressive practitioners of quantitative easing. For example, in January of 2016, it lowered interest rates below zero, which has helped fuel demand in gold around the world.
7.) Switzerland
Prior to 1997, Switzerland was steadily building its gold reserves. In 1997, the decision was made to sell some of those reserves to bolster the Swiss currency and diversify the foreign reserves. The percent of foreign reserves in Switzerland is currently 6.7 %.
Switzerland actually has the world’s largest reserves of gold per capita and currently has reported 1,040 tons. Over time, many citizens in the country started to feel like the bank was getting rid of too much gold. They then banded together with the “Save the Swiss” movement. However, once everyone was able to vote in 2014, the vote came to a no, and gold continued to be sold. During World War II, Switzerland became the center of the gold trade in Europe, making transactions with both the Allies and Axis powers. Today, much of its gold trading is done with Hong Kong and China. Around last year, the Swiss National Bank made a $5.9 billion profit, reportedly from its gold holdings.
10.) India
According to the World Gold Council, the Bank of India currently holds 557.7 tons of gold. It is one of the largest stores of gold in the world! This makes up 9.9 % of the country’s total foreign reserve. Foreign exchange reserves is money or other assets held by a nation’s central bank so they can back the national currency.
India, home to 1.25 billion people, is the number one largest consumer of the precious metal. Furthermore, India is one of the most reliable drivers of global demand. For example, India’s festival and wedding season, which runs from October to December, has historically been a major market for gold. And probably, one of the most interesting facts about India and gold is that India rarely invests much in gold. This is because as a country, India operates under the belief that buying gold leads to a deficit. And their belief must be proving right as things also seem to be improving for India. For instance, if you look at the last few years, India has increased its gold reserves from 557.74 to 557.77. While this might not seem like a lot, India is also at its highest point in history! In addition to what the country holds, Indian households which are considered the world’s largest hoarders of gold, hold a record 23,000-24,000 tons, which is worth about $800 billion.
9.) Netherlands
In the past few years, the Netherlands has held 52% of its foreign reserve in gold. The Netherlands has a reported 612.45 tons. In 2016 it was reported that the bank was looking for a place to store all its gold because they were going to renovate the vaults and needed to moving it. The Dutch central bank is planning to move the country’s gold reserves from the center of Amsterdam to a new complex called the Cash Center. Like most countries, Dutch gold is also held in banks around the world to reduce risk. Security measures to guard the gold 24/7 have become a problem in Amsterdam. 189,000 kilos of gold will be moved at the beginning of 2022.
Maybe this is one reason that over the last decade and a half, the Netherlands was selling off tons of gold in order to reduce its reserve. However, there weren’t that many buyers out there and they sold less than the country wanted. More recently the country has had less ambition to sell gold. Currently, the country holds the same amount of tons, 612.45 that they have over the last few years. However, the country has increased its percentage of foreign reserves to 61.2 %.
8.) Japan
Japan is another country which had been increasing its gold reserves since the 1960’s. Their official gold holdings were reported at 765.2 tons. About 2.4% of Japan’s gold today is in foreign reserve. Historically, Japan has always held a bit more gold than other countries. This was true until 2011, when they began to sell some of their reserve in order to pump money into the economy after the tsunami and the following Fukushima nuclear disaster.
But even with selling, Japan’s central bank has been one of the most aggressive practitioners of quantitative easing. For example, in January of 2016, it lowered interest rates below zero, which has helped fuel demand in gold around the world.
7.) Switzerland
Prior to 1997, Switzerland was steadily building its gold reserves. In 1997, the decision was made to sell some of those reserves to bolster the Swiss currency and diversify the foreign reserves. The percent of foreign reserves in Switzerland is currently 6.7 %.
Switzerland actually has the world’s largest reserves of gold per capita and currently has reported 1,040 tons. Over time, many citizens in the country started to feel like the bank was getting rid of too much gold. They then banded together with the “Save the Swiss” movement. However, once everyone was able to vote in 2014, the vote came to a no, and gold continued to be sold. During World War II, Switzerland became the center of the gold trade in Europe, making transactions with both the Allies and Axis powers. Today, much of its gold trading is done with Hong Kong and China. Around last year, the Swiss National Bank made a $5.9 billion profit, reportedly from its gold holdings.
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