← Back to All Videos

What Central Banks and Governments Own the Most Gold

Blog Jul 20, 2011

As the global economic crisis has been heating up over the past few years and money has been printed to compensate at alarming levels many have turned to Gold hedge against inflation and possible collapse of fiat currencies. The US alone has tripled the monetary base since the 2008 banking collapse and created trillions of dollars out of thin air.

The most interesting point is that central banks, the very institutions that have been printing the money, are buying gold up by the tons. In 2009 central banks started turning to gold and for the first time since 1997 they became net buyers; prior to that they were slowly liquidating their positions.

In a recent report by the World Gold Council it is estimated that central banks/governments own 16.5% of the world’s gold supply, totaling around 30,000 tons. So which countries own the most and what are they valued at in today’s market?

15. Venezuela-        403.1 tons valued at $20.64 billion
14. Portugal-          421.5 tons valued at $23.9 billion
13. Taiwan-           466.8 tons valued at $23.9 billion
12. ECB-                533.3 tons valued at $28.33 billion
11. India-             614.6 tons valued at $31.47 billion
10. Netherlands-      674.9 tons valued at $34.56 billion
9. Japan-             843.3 tons valued at $43.17 billion
8. Russia-            915.2 tons valued at $46.85 billion
7. Switzerland-     1,146.2 tons valued at $58.68 billion
6. China-           1,161.6 tons valued at $59.47 billion
5. France-          2,683.8 tons valued at $137.4 billion
4. Italy-           2,701.9 tons valued at $138.33 billion
3. IMF-             3,101.3 tons valued at $158.77 billion
2. Germany-         3,747.9 tons valued at $191.89 billion
1. USA-             8,965.6 tons valued at $459.04 billion

Gold makes up a portion of each one of these countries currency reserves. The average across the world is 11% of reserves are allocated to gold. Some of these countries have as little as 1.6% (China) and some have as much as 84.8% (Portugal). But one thing is true, most countries are attempting to boost their gold reserves through purchase and mining.

If central banks are buying gold as a currency diversifier, shouldn’t you? It just makes sense to protect your assets from the alarming amount of money printing that is going on, especially if you live in the US. The dollar has lost more than a third of its value since 2001 while gold has risen over 500%, more than making up for the loss in the dollar. Can you see why central banks are favoring the US dollar over gold?

Thumbnail Photo We believe that everyone deserves a properly developed strategy for financial safety.

Lynette Zang

Chief Market Analyst, ITM Trading

Sources & References In This Article

Similar Posts

Blog Jan 3, 2024

The Great Taking: Understanding the Shift in Global Debt | A Deep Dive into Financial Collateral

Learn More
Blog Dec 19, 2023

Is the U.S. Dollar in Crisis? Exploring Currency Markets, Inflation, and Bank Downgrades

Learn More
Blog Dec 8, 2023

From Treasury Outflows to Inflation and Consumer Anxiety, how far will it go?

Learn More
Blog Dec 8, 2023

Your Safety Is Not Their Concern

Learn More
Blog Sep 29, 2022

What’s Driving Energy Prices Up? Will the Crisis be worse than the 1970s?

Learn More
Blog Sep 15, 2022

Underneath the Surface: Recession or DEPRESSION?

Learn More
Blog Jan 9, 2020

REAL OR FAKE GOLD, BIG VS SMALL BANK DEPOSITS… Q&A with Lynette Zang and Eric Griffin

Learn More
Blog Nov 28, 2018

ENTERING THE MINEFIELD: Is Your Armor Ready? By Lynette Zang

Learn More

Not Sure What Works for You?

Our team has over a century of combined experience in guiding our customers to the best products is for their wealth protection and preservation goals. Call us today.

888-696-4653
or schedule a call

Schedule A Strategy Session

Get Your Free Protection Guide

Stay Informed

Receive the latest updates regarding the economy.