The world’s central banks are not subtle about where they stand right now. According to the World Gold Council’s 2026 Central Bank Gold Reserves Survey, published June 16, 45% of central bank respondents plan to increase their gold holdings over the next 12 months. That’s up from 43% in 2025, and a significant jump from just 29% two years ago.
The numbers behind the gold rush
Over the past four years, central banks have averaged net purchases of 1,000 tonnes of gold annually. The decade before that, the average was 500 tonnes per year. In Q1 2026 alone, central banks recorded 244 tonnes in purchases. Then came April, 17 to 19 tonnes. Then May, another 41 tonnes, with Poland and China among the notable buyers.
A full 89% of survey respondents expect global central bank gold holdings to rise over the coming year. And 84% anticipate that gold’s share of total global reserves will increase over the next five years.
Some 74% of survey participants predict the US dollar’s share of global reserves will decline moderately to significantly over the next five years.
