Aurum Resources offers a compelling value proposition through its highly prospective gold asset in Côte d'Ivoire, a fast-emerging gold region in West Africa. Its cost-effective exploration strategy of drill rig ownership also distinguishes it from its peers.
Aurum Resources (ASX:AUE) is a mineral exploration company primarily focused on gold through its flagship Boundiali gold project located in Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa.
Côte d'Ivoire's gold mining sector is experiencing significant growth and development, with several key projects contributing to the country's economic expansion. The overall gold mining sector in Côte d'Ivoire is supported by substantial investments in infrastructure and exploration.
Geopolitically, Côte d'Ivoire outperforms most developing countries in the world in political, legal, tax and operational risk metrics. Additionally, Côte d'Ivoire continues to make notable strides in its political stability and Absence of Violence and Terrorism Index.
Boundiali Gold Project – BD Target 1 Artisanal Working
Aurum has entered into a Bid Implementation Agreement with Mako Gold for Aurum to acquire 100 percent of the issued shares in Mako. This proposed merger will allow both Aurum and Mako security holders to benefit from the combination of Aurum’s strong balance sheet and exceptional drilling efficiencies with AU$23 million in cash at the end of December 2024 to support work programs targeted at further resource definition across Aurum and Mako’s assets in northern Côte d'Ivoire. Aurum is currently in its final phase of compulsory acquisition of remaining Mako shares after it received over 90% acceptance of MKG shares in late January 2025.
The merger is backed by a highly experienced board and management team with extensive gold experience from grassroots discovery, through to resource drill-out, feasibility studies, project finance, and production.
The Boundiali gold project in Cote d’Ivoire is located within the Boundiali Greenstone Belt, which hosts Resolute’s Syama gold operation (11.5 Moz) and the Tabakoroni deposit (1 Moz) in Mali. Neighbouring assets also include Barrick’s Tongon mine (5 Moz) and Montage Gold’s Kone project (4.5 Moz).
The Boundiali project area covers the underexplored southern extension of the Boundiali belt, where a highly deformed synclinal greenstone horizon traverses finer-grained basin sediments, and to the west, Tarkwaian clastic rocks lie in contact with a granitic margin. The project benefits from year-round road access and excellent infrastructure.
The first stage of drilling at Boundiali occurred from late October 2023 to end of November 2024 for both the BM and BD tenements (BM1 and BM2; BD1, BD2 and BD3 targets) and was designed to test below-gold-in-soil anomalies oriented along NE trending structures, define new gold prospects and define maiden JORC resources. With over 63,000m diamond holes drilled during this period, Maiden JORC gold resources estimate was delivered in late December 2024.
Drilling costs are estimated at US$45 per metre, as Aurum owns all of its eight drilling rigs and employs its operators, representing a significant value proposition relative to peers who use commercial drilling companies that charge upwards of $200 per meter. The company believes there is potential for multi-million ounce gold resources to be defined with hundreds thousands meters of drilling over years within the Boundiali Gold Project’s land holding areas.
The Boundiali gold project comprises four contiguous granted licenses: PR0808 (80 percent interest), PR0893 (80 percent and earning to 88 percent interest), PR414 (100 percent interest), and PR283 (earning to 70 percent interest). Historic exploration at PR0893 includes 93 AC drill holes and four RC holes. Airborne geophysical surveying, geological mapping and extensive soil sampling have also been performed at PR0893, while PR0808 has had 91 RC holes drilled for 6,229 metres along with geochemical analysis and modeling. Detailed geochemical sampling and drilling at PR414 revealed three strong gold anomalies and returned impressive high-grade results.
Following the renewal of its Boundali South (BST) exploration licence in September 2024, drilling at the Nyangboue deposit is planned for H1 2025 and H2 2025. Previous exploration at BST has returned impressive results, including 20 m at 10.45 g/t gold from 38 meters, and 30 m at 8.30 g/t gold from 39 m.
In May 2024, Aurum entered a strategic partnership agreement to earn up to a 70 percent interest in exploration tenement PR283, to be renamed Boundiali North (BN). Aurum, through subsidiary Plusor Global Pty Ltd, has partnered with Ivorian company Geb & Nut Resources Sarl and related party (GNRR) to explore and develop the Boundiali North (BN) tenement which covers 208.87sq km immediately north of Aurum’s BD tenement. Further to this agreement,
Aurum announced it has earned 80 percent project interest after completing more than 20,000 m of diamond core drilling.
Boundiali Project JORC Mineral Resource Estimate
Aurum has announced a maiden independent JORC mineral resource estimate of 1.59 Moz gold for its 1,037 sq. km. The Boundiali Gold Project comprises the BST, BDT1 & BDT2, BMT1 and BMT3 deposits. Drilling is ongoing on these deposits, and Aurum has identified other prospects at Boundiali which have yet to be drilled. Since October 2023, the company has completed an extensive 63,927-metre diamond drilling program. This aggressive exploration campaign has rapidly defined a significant gold resource of 50.9 Mt @ 1.0 g/t gold for 1.6 million ounces.
A 100,000 m of drilling is planned and being carried out at Boundiali using eight self-owned diamond rigs to drive resource growth with two JORC resources updates in 2025.
In 2025, Aurum plans to launch a mining exploitation licence application and complete a PFS and environment study for the Boundiali Gold Project.
Troy Flannery has more than 25 years’ experience in the mining industry, including nine years in corporate and 17 years in senior mining engineering and project development roles. He has a degree in mining engineering, masters in finance, and first class mine managers certificate of competency. Flannery has performed non-executive director roles with numerous ASX listed companies and was the CEO of Abra Mining until October 2021. He has worked at numerous mining companies, mining consultancy and contractors, including BHP, Newcrest, Xstrata, St Barbara Mines and AMC Consultants.
Dr. Caigen Wang founded Tietto Minerals (ASX:TIE), where he led the company as managing director for 13 years through private exploration, ASX listing, gold resource definition, project study and mine building to become one of Africa’s newest gold producers at its Abujar gold mine in Côte d’Ivoire. He holds a bachelor, masters and PhD in mining engineering. He is a fellow of AusIMM and a chartered professional engineer of Institution of Engineer, Australia. Wang has 13 years of mining academic experience in China University of Mining and Technology, Western Australia School of Mine and University of Alberta, and over 20 years of practical experience in mining engineering and mineral exploration in Australia, China and Africa. Other professional experience includes senior technical and management roles in mining houses, including St. Barbara, Sons of Gwalia, BHP Billiton, China Goldmines PLC and others.
Mark Strizek has nearly 30 years’ experience in the resource industry, having worked as a geologist on various gold, base metal and technology metal projects. He brings invaluable geological, technical and development expertise to Aurum, most recently as an executive director at Tietto Minerals’, which progressed from an IPO to gold production at the Abujar gold project in West Africa. Strizek has worked as an executive with management and board responsibilities in exploration, feasibility, finance and development-ready assets across Australia, West Africa, Asia and Europe.
Game-changing gold exploration at prolific Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa.
All amounts expressed in US dollars
Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE:GOLD)(TSX:ABX) The Reko Diq Joint Venture shareholders have approved the project's updated Feasibility Study and conditionally approved the associated Phase 1 development capital subject to the closing of up to $3 billion limited recourse project financing, allowing the project to advance with major works in 2025, while maintaining the target for first production by the end of 2028.
At the same time, the shareholders have selected Fluor Corporation as the lead Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management (EPCM) partner to work alongside the Barrick Owner's Team in the detailed design and construction of the project.
Speaking from the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum in Islamabad today, Barrick president and chief executive Mark Bristow said this important milestone reflected the support of the governments of Balochistan and Pakistan, in partnership with Barrick, to develop one of the world's largest undeveloped copper-gold projects. The project is located in the province of Balochistan, Pakistan, and operated by Barrick.
"The selection of Fluor as our EPCM partner strengthens our ability to execute the Reko Diq project with the technical rigor, operational discipline and socio-environmental responsibility that are hallmarks of both companies," said Bristow. "We look forward to working closely with Fluor to ensure that Reko Diq delivers lasting value to all our stakeholders, particularly the people of Balochistan and Pakistan."
Fluor will be supported by a range of expert engineering consultants including Knight Piesold, PRDW and Vecturis, who have worked with the Barrick Owner's Team throughout the Feasibility Study.
Bristow said the selection of Fluor reflects a shared commitment to delivering large-scale mining projects safely, responsibly and efficiently, while maximizing local content and community development. Metso, Weir and Komatsu have also been selected as key partners to the project, providing the majority of the processing and mining equipment.
"These engineering and supply partnerships bring extensive global experience in delivering large copper concentrate projects in challenging jurisdictions, including high-altitude, remote and logistically complex environments. This expertise aligns strongly with Barrick's own track record of successfully developing and operating major projects in challenging jurisdictions around the world," Bristow said.
Barrick Enquiries
Investor and Media Relations
Kathy du Plessis
+44 20 7557 7738
Email: barrick@dpapr.com
Website: www.barrick.com
Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information
Certain information contained or incorporated by reference in this press release, including any information as to our strategy, projects, plans or future financial or operating performance, constitutes "forward-looking statements". All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. The words "target", "progress", "aim", "process", "hope", "potential", "grow", "ensure", "believe", "create", "will", "would" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. In particular, this press release contains forward-looking statements including, without limitation, with respect to: development and operation of the Reko Diq project, including the anticipated timeline for construction and first production; the contemplated life of mine, production and economics of the Reko Diq project; the anticipated sharing of the benefits from the Reko Diq project with Barrick's host governments and communities in line with Barrick's partnership model; future demand for metals and minerals, particularly copper, and expectations regarding financial performance and other outlook or guidance.
Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions including material estimates and assumptions related to the factors set forth below that, while considered reasonable by Barrick as at the date of this press release in light of management's experience and perception of current conditions and expected developments, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Known and unknown factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements and information. Such factors include, but are not limited to: fluctuations in the spot and forward price of gold, copper or certain other commodities (such as diesel fuel, natural gas and electricity); the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development; changes in mineral production performance, exploitation and exploration successes; risks associated with projects in the early stages of evaluation and development and for which additional technical, engineering and other analysis is required; disruption of supply routes which may cause delays in development, construction and mining activities; diminishing quantities or grades of reserves; increased costs, delays, suspensions and technical challenges associated with the construction of capital projects; operating or technical difficulties in connection with mining or development activities, including geotechnical challenges and disruptions in the maintenance or provision of required infrastructure and information technology systems; failure to comply with environmental and health and safety laws and regulations; the failure to obtain key licenses by governmental authorities; changes in national and local government legislation, taxation, controls or regulations and/or changes in the administration of laws, policies and practices; expropriation or nationalization of property and political or economic developments in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan or the Province of Balochistan; timing of receipt of, or failure to comply with, necessary permits and approvals; lack of certainty with respect to foreign legal systems, corruption and other factors that are inconsistent with the rule of law; risks associated with illegal and artisanal mining; risks associated with new diseases, epidemics and pandemics; damage to Barrick's reputation due to the actual or perceived occurrence of any number of events, including negative publicity with respect to the Barrick's handling of environmental matters or dealings with community groups, whether true or not; the possibility that future exploration results will not be consistent with Barrick's expectations; risks that exploration data may be incomplete and considerable additional work may be required to complete further evaluation, including but not limited to drilling, engineering and socioeconomic studies and investment; risk of loss due to acts of war, terrorism, sabotage and civil disturbances; litigation; contests over title to properties, particularly title to undeveloped properties, or over access to water, power and other required infrastructure; business opportunities that may be presented to, or pursued by, Barrick; risks associated with working with partners in jointly controlled assets; employee relations including loss of key employees; increased costs and physical risks, including extreme weather events and resource shortages related to climate change; and availability and increased costs associated with mining inputs and labor. In addition, there are risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining, including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations, pressures, cave-ins, flooding and gold bullion, copper cathode or gold or copper concentrate losses (and the risk of inadequate insurance, or inability to obtain insurance, to cover these risks).
Many of these uncertainties and contingencies can affect our actual results and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf of, us. Readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements. Specific reference is made to the most recent Form 40-F/Annual Information Form on file with the SEC and Canadian provincial securities regulatory authorities for a more detailed discussion of some of the factors underlying forward-looking statements and the risks that may affect Barrick's ability to achieve the expectations set forth in the forward-looking statements contained in this press release.
We disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.
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Gold began the year at US$2,658.04 per ounce on January 2, and continued to rise throughout the first month of the year, reaching US$2,710.30 during Trump's inauguration on January 20.
Gold price, January 2 to April 7, 2025.
Chart via Trading Economics.
Its upward trajectory accelerated in February. Gold climbed above the US$2,800 mark on February 3, broke through US$2,900 on February 10 and reached a monthly high of US$2,949.90 on February 24.
The metal retracted before the start of March, falling to US$2,856.90 on February 28.
However, March brought more excitement for investors as the price once again started to climb, rising above the US$2,900 mark by March 4. Gold continued to set records during the month, closing above US$3,000 on March 18 and then establishing a new record of over US$3,165 in early April.
Gold had once again dipped below the US$3,000 mark as of April's second week.
When Trump won the US election, analysts widely predicted his presidency would be defined by chaos.
Much of his first presidential term saw him challenge standard operating procedures on diplomacy and rhetoric, but he was largely constrained by experienced Washington insiders.
During his second term, Trump has chosen to surround himself with loyalists who agree on policy direction.
Mind Money CEO Julia Khandoshko told the Investing News Network (INN), “The problem is not just their content, but the overall consequences — each one heightens market volatility and creates waves.”
The first quarter brought about destabilization in world financial markets as Trump threatened to impose sweeping 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico, its longtime trade partners. According to the Office of the US Trade Representative, trade between the three countries totaled over US$1.5 trillion in 2022.
Initially Trump was demanding that Canada and Mexico tighten border rules to prevent the flow of migrants and fentanyl into the US. However, he also suggested that the tariff threat stemmed from trade deficits.
The first of Trump's threats came on February 1, when his administration applied tariffs to imports from Canada and Mexico; he walked them back two days later, saying he would delay them until March. When the March deadline arrived, the US once again imposed tariffs on Canada and Mexico, but then retracted them, suggesting they would be added on April 2, when the US was also planning broader reciprocal tariffs against all countries.
In comments to INN, David Barrett, CEO of EBC Financial Group UK, suggested that the Trump administration's tariff threats have had an impact on physical holders of gold.
“There has been a huge spike in the movement of physical gold from around the world into US depositories. This seems to have been driven by the global political stress and potential tariff impacts. The amounts involved have caused disruption in the real demand and promoted new buyers as well," he said.
These movements created significant price differences between the London and New York markets, as UK buyers worried about a shortage of physical gold, while US banks sought to exploit the price gap.
With Russia-Ukraine tensions remaining high and a Middle East conflict that seems poised to boil over, gold investors have responded by seeking the relative safety of physical and liquid assets.
“Broader global political tension, the Middle East conflicts and the Ukraine invasion all add uncertainty, and none of these should be ignored. All those inputs are real and do not look like they will abate anytime soon,” said Barrett.
Both major conflicts in Eastern Europe and the Middle East show no signs of easing.
A ceasefire negotiated between Israel and Hamas earlier this year has collapsed since the beginning of March.
This has led to a serious escalation, with Israel attacking more targets in Gaza and the US increasing its strikes against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The US has also begun more troop and equipment movements into the region, and some analysts believe it is preparing for direct action against Iran. This sentiment was reinforced when Trump stated, “If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing,” during a call with NBC News on March 30.
The three year war between Russia and Ukraine continues with no end in sight. While it seems that both sides have accepted a ceasefire, the final terms and how it will be implemented remain uncertain.
In recent weeks, Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraine, targeting critical infrastructure and civilian areas. This has drawn Trump's ire, and he threatened oil and gas tariffs on Russia during his NBC interview.
Central banks have been a major gold price driver over the past few years, and data published by the World Gold Council on March 4 indicates that they remained active during the first month of the year.
In January, they added more than 18 metric tons of gold to their reserves.
Uzbekistan's central bank led the way with 8 metric tons, while the People’s Bank of China contributed 5 metric tons, increasing its official total to 2,285 metric tons. The National Bank of Kazakhstan added 4 metric tons.
Barrett explained that central bank purchases have been crucial to gold's increases over the past decade.
“Since late 2015, gold has risen from approximately US$1,000 to the present record highs above US$3,000, and central banks have bought up 10,000 metric tons, depending on who you ask. This demand removes supply from the market; they are the ultimate buy-and-hold participants — this has been the real driver for gold,” he said.
For her part, Khandoshko does not view central bank purchasing as significant in the current environment.
“The more important factor here is their monetary policies. Despite attempts to maintain a conservative stance, it is evident that the cycle of interest rate cuts is already underway,” she said.
Lower interest rates have long been correlated with increased gold buying from investors.
In another report, the World Gold Council states that physically backed gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) saw US$9.4 billion in inflows during February, the strongest since March 2022.
February also marked the third consecutive positive month of "strong global inflows."
Overall, assets under management for these ETFs rose by 4.1 percent to US$306 billion, with collective holdings increasing by 3.1 percent to 3,353 metric tons, the highest month-end level since July 2023.
Among the factors that could provide fresh tailwinds for gold is a new pilot program from the National Financial Regulatory Administration of China. It allows 10 insurance companies to invest in gold.
“Given the recent price rise, the global backdrop and the huge Chinese population, this may develop into a strong driver,” Barrett said. The program permits the designated insurance companies to allocate up to 1 percent of their assets to bullion, which could translate into US$27.4 billion in new gold investments.
Barrett emphasized the importance of monitoring the main drivers in the gold market.
“Clarity on the Trump administration's tariff policy, even its overall economic plan, may alleviate some physical demand as well as those concerned about the need for a hedge,” he said.
Although he noted that conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East are unlikely to change due to their complexity, he suggested that relief from ceasefires or a reduction in violence could help diminish investor anxiety.
Khandoshko mentioned that as long as geopolitical turmoil, economic instability and currency devaluation persist, the gold price will continue to benefit as these elements are driving its momentum.
“This surge over the US$3,000 mark is just the beginning," she said.
"The yellow metal will continue to increase in price, setting new records. What we are witnessing is not a temporary spike, but a lasting shift in the market. With this breakthrough, a significant pullback seems unlikely. Corrections and volatility may occur, but the market has entered a new era, one that is here to stay."
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Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Editorial Disclosure: The Investing News Network does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the information reported in the interviews it conducts. The opinions expressed in these interviews do not reflect the opinions of the Investing News Network and do not constitute investment advice. All readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligence.
Central banks added 1,044.6 MT of gold to their vaults in 2024, the third year in a row that gold purchases in this segment surpassed the 1,000 MT mark. In the fourth quarter of 2024 alone, central banks picked up another record 332.9 MT of gold, reported the WGC.
Yearly central bank gold purchases since 2019.
Chart via the WGC.
Twenty-nine percent of the WGC's survey respondents indicated plans to grow their gold reserves, up 5 percent from the previous year. Three percent reported their institution is planning to decrease its gold holdings, which was unchanged from the previous year.
The WGC believes that central bank gold purchases will continue to be a major driver of gold demand in 2025.
Read on to find out the 10 top countries by central bank gold holdings, as per data from the WGC, including recent Q4 2024 and full-year 2024 reports.
Gold reserves: 8,133.46 MT
When it comes to the largest gold depository in the world, the American central bank is number one with 8,133.46 MT.
A large percentage of US gold is held in “deep storage” in Denver, Fort Knox and West Point. As the US Treasury explains, deep storage is “that portion of the US Government-owned gold bullion reserve which the Mint secures in sealed vaults that are examined annually by the Treasury Department’s Office of the Inspector General and consists primarily of gold bars.”
The rest of US-owned reserves are held as working stock, which the country's mint uses as raw material to mint congressionally authorized coins.
Gold reserves: 3,351.53 MT
The Bundesbank, Germany’s central bank, currently owns 3,351.53 MT of gold. Like many of the central banks on this list, the German national bank stores over half of its stock in foreign locations in New York, London and France.
The Bundesbank’s foreign gold reserves came into question in 2012, when the German Federal Court of Auditors, the Bundesrechnungshof, was openly critical of the Bundesbank’s gold auditing.
In response, the German bank issued a public statement defending the security of foreign banks. Privately, the Bundesbank then began the arduous process of repatriating its gold stock back to German soil. By 2016, more than 583 MT of gold had been transferred back to Germany.
Nearly half of Germany’s gold holdings are stored in Frankfurt, while more than a third are in New York, an eighth of its holdings are in London, and a miniscule amount are held in in Paris.
The economic upheaval and geopolitical volatility brought about by US President Donald Trump's tariff wars and adversarial posturing toward Europe led Germany to consider further repatriating its gold, reported The Telegraph in April 2025. About 1,200 metric tons of Germany's gold holdings are stored in the vaults of the New York Federal Reserve in Manhattan.
Gold reserves: 2,451.84 MT
Banca d’Italia, the national bank of Italy, began amassing its gold in 1893, when three separate financial institutions merged into one. From there, its 78 MT slowly grew into the 2,451.84 MT the country now owns.
Like Germany, Italy stores parts of its reserves offshore. In total, 141.2 MT are located in the UK, 149.3 are in Switzerland and 1,061 are kept in the US Federal Reserve. Italy houses 1,100 MT of gold domestically.
Gold reserves: 2,437 MT
The Banque de France has 2,437 MT of gold reserves, all of which it keeps on hand. The precious metal is stored in the bank’s secure underground vault, dubbed La Souterraine, which is located 27 meters below street level.
La Souterraine’s gold vaults are one of the four designated gold depositories of the International Monetary Fund.
According to Investopedia, the collapse of the Bretton Woods gold standard system was in part due to former French President Charles de Gaulle, who “called the U.S. bluff and began actually trading dollars in for gold from the Fort Knox reserves.” At the time, US President Richard Nixon “was forced to take the U.S. off the gold standard, ending the dollar's automatic convertibility into gold.”
Gold reserves: 2,332.74 MT*
The Bank of Russia is the official central bank of the Russian Federation and owns 2,332.74 MT of gold. Like France, Russia’s central bank has opted to store all its physical gold domestically. The Bank of Russia stores two-thirds of its gold reserves in a bank building in Moscow, and the remaining one-third in Saint Petersburg.
The majority of the yellow metal is in the form of large, variable-weight standard gold bars weighing between 10 and 14 kilograms. There are also smaller bars on site weighing as much as 1 kilogram each.
Russia, which is the second largest gold producer by country, has been a steady purchaser of the precious metal since roughly 2007, with sales ramping up significantly between 2015 and 2020. However, Russia’s refineries were banned from selling gold bullion into the London market following the country’s invasion of Ukraine. Sanctions by the west also include a freeze on about half of Russia’s gold reserves.
In early 2022, Russia tied its currency, the ruble, to the yellow metal. "The plan was to shift the currency away from a pegged value and into the gold standard itself so the ruble would become a credible gold substitute at a fixed rate," according to Robert Huish, an Associate Professor in International Development Studies at Dalhousie University.
*This figure does not reflect year-end 2024, including the at least 3.1 MT purchased in 2024, per the WGC, which is awaiting further data to update the 2024 total.
Gold reserves: 2,279.56 MT
The central bank for Mainland China is the People’s Bank of China (PBoC), located in Beijing. According to the WGC, the national financial institute stores 2,279.56 MT of gold, most which has been purchased since 2000. In 2001, the PBoC had 400 MT of gold in reserve, but in just a little more than two decades that total has climbed by 459 percent.
The PBoC issues the Panda gold coin, which was first created in 1982. The Panda coin is now one of the top five bullion coins issued by a central bank. It is among the ranks of the American Eagle, Canadian Maple Leaf, South African Krugerrand and Australian Gold Nugget.
The PBoC was one of the top gold buyers out the world's central banks for 2024, purchasing another 44 MT of gold during the year. April 2024 marked the 18th consecutive month of gold buying for China's central bank, which paused its purchases afterward until picking them up again in November.
Gold reserves: 1,039.94 MT
Holding the seventh largest central bank gold reserves is the Swiss National Bank. Its 1,039.94 MT of gold are owned by the state of Switzerland, but the central bank manages and maintains the reserve.
After years of opaqueness regarding the country’s golden treasure trove, the Swiss Gold Initiative, or Save our Swiss Gold campaign, was launched in 2011.
The publicity culminated in a national referendum in 2014, asking citizens to vote on three proposals. The first was a mandate for all reserve gold to be held physically in Switzerland. The other two dealt with the central bank’s ability to sell its gold reserves, along with a decree that 20 percent of the Swiss bank’s assets be held in gold.
The referendum was unsuccessful, but did prompt the bank to be more transparent. In a 2013 release, the central bank reported that 70 percent of its gold reserve was held domestically, 20 percent was located at the Bank of England and 10 percent was stored with the Bank of Canada.
Gold reserves: 876.18 MT
The Reserve Bank of India is another central bank that has fervently acted to increase its holdings in recent years. It began adding to its gold assets in 2017; however, the majority of its purchases have taken place in the past four years.
Strikingly, after India's central bank purchased 16 MT of gold in 2023, the institution scooped up another 72 MT of the precious metal in 2024.
While more than half of its gold is held overseas in safe custody with the Bank of England and the Bank of International Settlements, about a third of its gold is held domestically. In June 2024, India repatriated 100 MT of gold from the United Kingdom. This was the first time since 1991 that the Reserve Bank of India moved its overseas gold holdings back home.
Gold reserves: 845.97 MT
Public information about the Bank of Japan’s gold reserves is hard to come by. In 2000, the island nation was holding approximately 753 MT of the yellow metal. By 2004, the Bank of Japan’s gold store had grown to 765.2 MT, and remained at that level until March 2021, when the country purchased 80.76 MT of gold.
Gold reserves: 612.45 MT
Rounding out this list of the top central bank gold reserves is the Dutch National Bank (DNB), the central bank of the Netherlands. Like Switzerland, the Dutch central bank stores as much as 38 percent of its gold in Canada’s national reserve. Another 31 percent, in the form of 15,000 gold bars, is held in a domestic vault, while the remaining 31 percent is located in New York’s Federal Reserve bank.
In a report, the DNB describes gold as the supreme safe-haven asset. “Central banks such as DNB have therefore traditionally had a lot of gold in stock. After all, gold is the ultimate nest egg: the trust anchor for the financial system,” it reads. “If the entire system collapses, the gold supply provides collateral to start over. Gold gives confidence in the strength of the central bank’s balance sheet. That gives a safe feeling.”
Gold reserves: 2,814.1 MT
The gold reserve held by the International Monetary Fund is the third largest in terms of size. The large gold reserve was amassed primarily during the founding of the international organization in 1944.
In that inaugural year, it was decided that “25 percent of initial quota subscriptions and subsequent quota increases were to be paid in gold.”
Since 1944, the International Monetary Fund has added gold through the repayment of debts owed by member countries. Nations can also exchange gold for another member country’s currency.
This is an updated version of an article first published by the Investing News Network in 2020.
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Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.