World Gold Council: Global Central Banks’ Purchases of Gold Hitting a 55-Year High

The latest report on Global Gold Demand Trends by the World Gold Council showed that in 2022, annual gold demand (excluding off-exchange transactions) increased by 18% to 4,741 mt, which is the highest annual demand since 2011. The demand for gold in the fourth quarter of 2022 also reached a new high, with central banks' large-scale purchases and sustained demand for individual gold investments being the main driving factors.

Global central banks' annual demand for gold reached 1,136 mt in 2022, more than double the 450 mt of the previous year, setting a new 55-year high. In just the fourth quarter of 2022, global central banks purchased 417 mt of gold, and the total purchase for the second half of the year exceeded 800 mt.

Global gold investment demand (excluding off-exchange transactions) increased by 10% in 2022, driven mainly by a slowdown in outflows from gold ETFs and strong demand for gold bars and coins.