Countries with largest gold reserves 2023 | Statista (2024)

FAQs

Countries with largest gold reserves 2023 | Statista? ›

Australia and Russia hold the largest reserves of gold

Gold mining is a global business with operations on every continent, except Antarctica, and gold is extracted from mines of widely varying types and scale. At a country level, China was the largest producer in the world in 2023 and accounted for around 10 per cent of total global production.

The United States holds the world's largest stockpile of gold reserves by a considerable margin of over 8,100 tons. The U.S. government has almost as many reserves as Germany, Italy, and France combined. They are the next three largest gold-holding countries.

Which country has the biggest unmined gold reserves? Australia is thought to have the biggest unmined gold reserves (estimated at 8,400 tonnes), followed by Russia in second place (6,800 tonnes) and South Africa in third place (5,000 tonnes).

John Paulson is an American hedge fund manager and billionaire famous for having one of the world's biggest privately owned gold reserves. He's also well known for predicting the 2007 mortgage financial crisis and has made headlines for his mammoth-sized gold holdings through his firm, Paulson & Co.

About 244,000 metric tons of gold has been discovered to date (187,000 metric tons historically produced plus current underground reserves of 57,000 metric tons). Most of that gold has come from just three countries: China, Australia, and South Africa.

Where is the largest gold vault in the world? ›

The New York Federal Reserve Bank has the largest gold vault in the world, with approximately 7,000 tons of gold stored in its underground facilities.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury owns the gold in Fort Knox, as well as the gold that's held in Denver, CO and West Point, NY.

In terms of absolute amount, probably Jupiter, simply because Jupiter contains more solid matter (never mind gas) than any other planet. But all that gold is in Jupiter's center, completely inaccessible.

Fort Knox Facts

Amount of present gold holdings: 147.3 million ounces. About half of the Treasury's stored gold (as well as valuables of other federal agencies) is kept at Fort Knox. Highest historic gold holdings: 649.6 million ounces (December 31, 1941).

Germany has a long history of accumulating gold reserves, with the first gold coins being minted in the country more than 2,000 years ago. The country has continued to acquire gold throughout its history, with the Bundesbank playing a key role in managing and safeguarding the country's gold reserves in the modern era.

The Swiss National Bank continues to hold by far the most gold per head with 118 grams for for every person living in Switzerland.

The PBOC was the world's largest single buyer of gold in 2023, with its net purchases of 7.23 million ounces the most by China for at least 46 years, according to the World Gold Council.