FRANKFURT, June 3 (Xinhua) — Gold became the largest component of global official reserves in 2025, surpassing holdings of US Treasuries and the euro as rising prices boosted its share, the European Central Bank (ECB) said Tuesday, reported Xinhua.
Gold made up 27 per cent of the total official foreign reserves, including foreign exchange and gold holdings, at the end of 2025, compared with 22 per cent for US Treasuries and 15 per cent for the euro, according to an ECB report.
Data released by the ECB showed that global central bank gold purchases surged in 2022, peaked in 2024, and then eased in 2025.
Gold purchases by central banks fell to around 850 tonnes, below the average level between 2022 and 2024, which topped 1000 tonnes. Despite historically high prices, demand for gold remained elevated.
The increase in gold’s share of official reserves was driven largely by soaring prices, the ECB said. Gold prices soared by 60 per cent and 30 per cent in nominal terms in 2025 and 2024, respectively.
Apart from diversification, central banks use gold as a hedge against geopolitical risk. However, compared to fiat currencies, gold’s status as part of reserves has limitations, the ECB report argued, citing price volatility, the inability to be remunerated, high storage costs, and inelastic supply.
