Holders and trends

Statistics covering ETF and central bank holdings, data on the attitudes of central banks, and a break-down of the above-ground stock of gold.

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Global gold-backed ETF holdings and flows

Global gold ETFs lost 107.5t tonnes (t) (-US$5.9bn, -2.9% AUM) in March, marking outflows for the fourth month out of five and the second month in a row with net outflows cracking the top 10 worst historically. Global assets under management (AUM) stand at 3,574t (US$194.5bn), back to levels last seen in mid to late Q2 2020. Since the peak asset levels in November 2020, gold ETF holdings have fallen nearly 10% in tonnage terms, on par with the approximate loss in the price of gold over the same period.

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2020 Central Bank Gold Reserve Survey

The number of central banks buying gold is expected to increase substantially this year. According to the 2020 Central Bank Gold Reserves (CBGR) survey, 20% of central banks intend to increase their gold reserves over the next 12 months, compared to just 8% of respondents in the 2019 survey. 

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Above-ground stocks

A breakdown of the above-ground stock of gold, including a time series of how it has evolved since 2010, and the latest year-end estimate of below-ground stocks.

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2019 Central Bank Gold Reserve Survey

Central banks bought 651 tonnes of gold in 2018, the highest volume on record under the existing international monetary system. In the World Gold Council’s second annual Central Bank Gold Reserve Survey, we explore: the motivations behind these purchases; planned changes in reserve asset allocations; gold management strategies; and gold operations practices.

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