Nearly half of central banks plan to increase gold reserves in 2026

MOSCOW, June 16. /TASS/. Nearly half of the world's central banks intend to increase their gold reserves amid geopolitical uncertainty and declining confidence in the US dollar, according to a survey of gold reserves conducted by the World Gold Council (WGC). According to the survey, an overwhelming majority of respondents (89%) expect total global foreign exchange and gold reserves to increase over the next year. At the same time, a record 45% of participants expect their own gold holdings to rise during the current year. Most of the remaining central banks do not anticipate any changes, while only 1% of respondents expect their reserves to decline. The key factors motivating central banks to hold gold were identified as its effectiveness during times of crisis, portfolio diversification, and inflation hedging. The precious metal is also viewed as an effective safeguard against geopolitical risks. The WGC report also highlighted growing skepticism toward the US currency. A majority of respondents (74%) expect the share of the US dollar in global reserves to decline moderately or significantly over the next five years, the report said. According to survey participants, the shares of the euro and the yuan are expected to remain broadly unchanged, while gold's position is likely to strengthen. In addition, the Bank of England remains the most popular location for storing gold bullion, receiving 57% of responses. However, central banks are increasingly diversifying their storage arrangements. Domestic central bank vaults ranked second with 49%, while the Bank for International Settlements placed third with 16%, posting a modest increase. At the same time, experts recorded a sharp decline in the popularity of the Swiss National Bank as a reserve custodian. Confidence in the institution fell to 6%, compared with 12% in 2025.