Featured Report
Central Bank Domestic ASGM Purchase Programmes
Gold has been at the heart of central banking for centuries. Once an official currency, it has become a cornerstone of modern reserve management. Emerging market central banks have been particularly active purchasers in recent years, and have occasionally acquired gold from local artisanal and small-scale producers.
Gold deposit rates - a guidance paper
In this paper, we seek to answer those questions by assessing how gold lease rates have been affected in the past through changes in the demand to borrow gold and the supply of gold available for lending.
Gold and central bank reserve management during the Covid-19 pandemic
Central bank reserves are typically constructed according to three guiding principles: safety, liquidity and return. The Covid-19 pandemic has reinforced the significance of these principles and, by extension, the importance of smart and sustainable reserve management.
2020 Central bank gold reserves survey
The number of central banks buying gold is expected to increase substantially this year. According to the 2020 Central Bank Gold Reserves (CBGR) survey, 20% of central banks intend to increase their gold reserves over the next 12 months, compared to just 8% of respondents in the 2019 survey.
Central Banks
Gold plays a prominent role in reserve asset management, being one of the few assets that is universally permitted by the investment guidelines of the world’s central banks. This is in part due to the gold market being deep and liquid – a key requirement of reserve asset managers.
A Central Banker’s Guide to Gold as a Reserve Asset - 2019 edition
In 2018, central banks added more gold to their international reserves than at any time since the end of Bretton Woods nearly 50 years ago. Nineteen central banks reported a meaningful increase in their gold reserves, giving rise to total purchases of 651 tonnes.
Central banks return to gold
Central banks bought more gold in 2018 than at any time since the early 1970s – and the trend has continued this year. Isabelle Strauss-Kahn, Member of the Advisory Board of the World Gold Council, former Director of Market Operations at the Banque de France and former Lead Financial Officer at the World Bank, explains why.
2019 Central Bank Gold Reserves Survey
The 2019 Central Bank Gold Reserves (CBGR) survey points to continued robust central bank demand for gold in the short and medium term. 11% of emerging market and developing economy (EMDE) central banks surveyed say they intend to increase their gold reserves over the next 12 months.
Market Update: Central bank buying activity
Gold is an important part of central banks’ foreign exchange (FX) reserves. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), at the end of H1 2018 central banks collectively owned US$1.36tn of gold, around 10% of global FX reserves.
2018 Central Bank Gold Reserves Survey
In 2018, the World Gold Council, in cooperation with YouGov, surveyed 22 central banks to better understand how they manage their gold reserves. Of the central banks surveyed, 18 held gold as part of their reserves.
