Central banks worldwide added 244 tonnes of gold to their official reserves in the first quarter of 2026, sustaining a buying pace that has made the official sector one of the most consequential drivers of global gold demand since 2022, according to World Gold Council data.

The pace of central bank buying in Q1 2026 reflects a broadening participation base. The World Gold Council reported that buying momentum continued into early 2026 with a wider range of institutions accumulating reserves, including several smaller central banks in Southeast Asia and the Middle East that had not previously been significant gold buyers.

The strategic rationale for central bank gold accumulation centers on de-dollarization and reserve resilience. Gold holds no counterparty risk and cannot be frozen or sanctioned, attributes that have moved from theoretical advantages to operational priorities for reserve managers in countries exposed to geopolitical risk.

At the current gold price of approximately $4,489 per ounce, the 244 tonnes purchased in Q1 represents roughly $35 billion in central bank spending on gold during the quarter alone.

The World Bank projected in early 2026 that the precious metals category would surge 42% for the full year, more than double the projected gain of the next-best commodity group. Gold and silver both set new all-time price records in the first quarter, with gold briefly trading above $4,700 per ounce. Investment research firms and commodity-focused publishers can find support for content strategy for investment firms at relyoncontent.com.

Source: World Gold Council -- https://www.gold.org/goldhub/research/gold-demand-trends/gold-demand-trends-q1-2026/central-banks