Gold Market Structure and Trends

Gold demand stayed soft in Q2, dropping to 964.3t. The H1 total of 1,959.9t is the lowest since 2009.

Today, China’s gold industry is at a crossroads; leading stakeholders are asking where it will go next. We believe the consideration of three questions will help set the course for the industry over the next three to five years.

The 2005-2013 boom in Chinese gold jewellery demand was followed by a fallow few years, which saw demand shrink by one third. But there are green shoots of recovery emerging.

Gold 2048 brings together industry-leading experts from across the globe to analyse how the gold market is set to evolve in the next 30 years with key insights from authors such as George Magnus, senior economist; Rick Lacaille, Global Chief Investment Officer of State Street Global Advisors; and Michelle Ash, Chief Innovation Officer at Barrick Gold.

Recycled gold – old gold sold for cash – is a vital part of the market. Our recycled gold primer explains the factors that affect recycling and considers the differences between jewellery and industrial recycling.

Price discovery is crucial for any market, and the gold market is no exception. Our gold prices primer gives a comprehensive overview of the LBMA Gold price – an important global benchmark – and looks at the mechanisms determining the local gold price in China and India, the two largest consumer gold markets.

Formal, large-scale gold mining is complex and geographically diverse. Our gold mine production primer explains the life-cycle of a gold mine and the ways in which responsible gold mining can have a significant positive economic impact.

Since their introduction in 2003, gold-backed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have transformed the gold investment market. Read our Gold-backed ETF primer for an overview of the history, features and benefits of gold-backed ETFs.