Overview
- The European Central Bank report this week found gold made up 27% of official global reserves at the end of 2025 while U.S. Treasuries stood at 22%, a shift driven mainly by higher gold prices rather than heavier net central bank buying.
- Central banks hold about 36,000 tonnes of gold valued near $4.5 trillion according to the ECB, which also estimated official net purchases fell to roughly 850 tonnes in 2025 after annual buying above 1,000 tonnes in prior years.
- The ECB identified Poland, Kazakhstan, Brazil, China and Turkey as the largest central bank buyers in 2025 and estimated China bought more than 350 tonnes since early 2022, more than any other country.
- The report named Tether, the stablecoin issuer, as a larger buyer of physical gold in 2025 than any single central bank, highlighting growing non-state demand and gaps in public disclosure of reserve buying.
- The ECB warned that gold’s rise does not replace the functions of sovereign debt because gold pays no interest, can be volatile and requires storage, and it said the trend could affect Treasury demand and borrowing costs if it persists.