Home
10. India
India rarely invests much in gold, as the country operates under a belief
that buying gold leads to a deficit. The country currently holds 557.7
tonnes of gold, making up 9.9 percent of the country’s total forex
reserve. Ten percent is the generally agreed-upon ideal average, and
India is careful to remain right around that mark for maximum
diversification.
9. Netherlands
Over the last decade and a half, Netherlands has been selling off some
tonnes of gold to reduce its reserve. Less gold sold than the country
wanted, and in recent years, this desire to sell has been reduced.
Netherlands holds 52 percent of its forex reserve in gold, which currently
totals 612.5 tonnes
8. Japan
The small but powerful nation of Japan had been steadily increasing its
reserves of gold since the 1960s. That reserve grew until the year 2011,
when the country began to sell some of its reserves in order to calm the
investors and stimulate the economy in the wake of the tsunami and the
following Fukushima nuclear disaster. Japan’s reserves hover around 2
percent, with the official total reaching 765.2 tonnes.
7. Russia
Russia is the fourth largest producer of gold in the world, and has been
building up its own reserves since 2006 in order to diversify. After a
domestic purchase in 2012 of around 75 tonnes, the Russian gold
reserve total reaches just shy of 970 tonnes. This investment brings the
forex reserve percentage up to 9.8 percent, just shy of the ideal ten
percent mark.
6. Switzerland
Prior to 1997, Switzerland was steadily building its gold reserves. In
1997, the decision was made to sell some of those reserves to bolster the
Swiss currency and diversify the forex reserves. The forex reserve
percentage in Switzerland is currently eight percent, with the country
being the lowest on this list to hold over 1,000 tonnes; the total currently
announced as 1,040.1 tonnes.
5. China
China is the world’s number one producer of gold, and yet very little of
that gold is held in reserve for the country. Instead, most of it is sold and
the profit reinvested in the Chinese markets. In the coming years,
however, China looks to be expanding its need for gold, to increase its
forex percentage above the current 1.7 percent. China currently holds
1,054.1 tonnes of gold in reserve.
4. France
France is the first country on this list to break 2,000 tonnes of gold in
reserve. The country currently holds 2,435.4 tonnes. The country has
recently sold over 500 tonnes, but has no plans to continue these sales in
the coming years. France has a high reserve percentage in gold
investment, reaching 65 percent.
3. Italy
Italy has seen its share of economic problems in the last decade, and its
high gold reserve percentage is a symptom of the larger problem. Italy’s
forex reserve ratio sits at 65 percent, with the country holding slightly
more gold than France. Italy holds 2,451.8 tonnes of gold in reserve.
2. Germany
As the second largest holder of gold reserves in the world, Germany has
been selling gold in small amounts over the last several years. However,
the country recently announced its intentions to purchase gold from
physical reserves in both Paris and New York. The current German gold
total is 3,390.6 tonnes, making up 66 percent of the country’s forex
reserves.
1. United States
Coming as a surprise to no one, the United States is the third largest
producer of gold and the single largest holder of gold reserves in the
world. The only larger gold reserve in a single organization is the G6, of
which many nations reside in the top ten individually. The United States
gold reserve percentage is 70 percent, with the physical stockpile
reaching 8,133.5 tonnes. This number has fallen in the last half-century
from the all-time high of over 20,000 tonnes.
India rarely invests much in gold, as the country operates under a belief
that buying gold leads to a deficit. The country currently holds 557.7
tonnes of gold, making up 9.9 percent of the country’s total forex
reserve. Ten percent is the generally agreed-upon ideal average, and
India is careful to remain right around that mark for maximum
diversification.
9. Netherlands
Over the last decade and a half, Netherlands has been selling off some
tonnes of gold to reduce its reserve. Less gold sold than the country
wanted, and in recent years, this desire to sell has been reduced.
Netherlands holds 52 percent of its forex reserve in gold, which currently
totals 612.5 tonnes
8. Japan
The small but powerful nation of Japan had been steadily increasing its
reserves of gold since the 1960s. That reserve grew until the year 2011,
when the country began to sell some of its reserves in order to calm the
investors and stimulate the economy in the wake of the tsunami and the
following Fukushima nuclear disaster. Japan’s reserves hover around 2
percent, with the official total reaching 765.2 tonnes.
7. Russia
Russia is the fourth largest producer of gold in the world, and has been
building up its own reserves since 2006 in order to diversify. After a
domestic purchase in 2012 of around 75 tonnes, the Russian gold
reserve total reaches just shy of 970 tonnes. This investment brings the
forex reserve percentage up to 9.8 percent, just shy of the ideal ten
percent mark.
6. Switzerland
Prior to 1997, Switzerland was steadily building its gold reserves. In
1997, the decision was made to sell some of those reserves to bolster the
Swiss currency and diversify the forex reserves. The forex reserve
percentage in Switzerland is currently eight percent, with the country
being the lowest on this list to hold over 1,000 tonnes; the total currently
announced as 1,040.1 tonnes.
5. China
China is the world’s number one producer of gold, and yet very little of
that gold is held in reserve for the country. Instead, most of it is sold and
the profit reinvested in the Chinese markets. In the coming years,
however, China looks to be expanding its need for gold, to increase its
forex percentage above the current 1.7 percent. China currently holds
1,054.1 tonnes of gold in reserve.
4. France
France is the first country on this list to break 2,000 tonnes of gold in
reserve. The country currently holds 2,435.4 tonnes. The country has
recently sold over 500 tonnes, but has no plans to continue these sales in
the coming years. France has a high reserve percentage in gold
investment, reaching 65 percent.
3. Italy
Italy has seen its share of economic problems in the last decade, and its
high gold reserve percentage is a symptom of the larger problem. Italy’s
forex reserve ratio sits at 65 percent, with the country holding slightly
more gold than France. Italy holds 2,451.8 tonnes of gold in reserve.
2. Germany
As the second largest holder of gold reserves in the world, Germany has
been selling gold in small amounts over the last several years. However,
the country recently announced its intentions to purchase gold from
physical reserves in both Paris and New York. The current German gold
total is 3,390.6 tonnes, making up 66 percent of the country’s forex
reserves.
1. United States
Coming as a surprise to no one, the United States is the third largest
producer of gold and the single largest holder of gold reserves in the
world. The only larger gold reserve in a single organization is the G6, of
which many nations reside in the top ten individually. The United States
gold reserve percentage is 70 percent, with the physical stockpile
reaching 8,133.5 tonnes. This number has fallen in the last half-century
from the all-time high of over 20,000 tonnes.
