Gold reserves are considered an important means of ensuring a country’s financial stability and coping with global economic uncertainties. Gold is not just a precious metal, but it is also a key pillar of international trade and financial stability. Gold was an integral part of the global economy in the 1800s and 1900s, when many countries linked their currencies to gold reserves.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, countries pegged their currencies to the value of gold, which was called the “gold standard”. This meant that each unit of currency in circulation had a fixed value in gold, and people could convert their paper money into gold. Therefore, gold was previously the main basis for a country’s financial stability and the strength of its currency.
Let’s learn about the 20 countries with the largest gold reserves. These figures are based on the World Gold Council’s second quarterly report for 2024.
United States: 8,133.46 tons
Germany: 3,351.53 tons
Italy: 2,451.84 tons
France: 2,436.97 tons
Russia: 2,335.85 tons
China: 2,264.32 tons
Japan: 845.97 tons
India: 840.76 tons
Netherlands: 612.45 tons
Turkey: 584.93 tons
Portugal: 382.66 tons
Poland: 377.37 tons
Uzbekistan: 365.15 tons
United Kingdom: 310.29 tons
Kazakhstan: 298.8 tons
So far, about 244,000 metric tons of gold have been discovered in the world. Of this, 187,000 metric tons of gold have been produced and 57,000 metric tons of gold are still in reserves. The largest gold reserves are found in China, Australia, and South Africa. In 2016, the United States was ranked fourth in gold production.
