Central banks repatriate gold as global insecurity rises

Gold bars

The World Gold Council’s 2026 report revealed that central banks worldwide have begun withdrawing their gold reserves from vaults in London and New York at an accelerated pace, amid growing concerns about storing sovereign assets abroad as geopolitical tensions escalate.

The annual survey, which included a record 76 central banks, showed that this trend was spearheaded by major central banks such as France and India last year. France withdrew 129 tons of gold from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, bringing its total reserves to domestic storage.

Meanwhile, the Reserve Bank of India reduced its share of gold held abroad to just 22% by March 2026, down from 55% in 2023, according to the Financial Times.

89% of survey respondents believe that global gold reserves will grow over the next twelve months, while 45% expect their own institutions to increase their holdings.

In the context of structural changes in portfolios, 74% of central banks expect the dollar’s share of global reserves to decline over the next five years, while the share of gold is expected to increase, with these purchases financed through domestic purchase programs or the liquidation of other reserve assets.