Bullion has gained in prominence as central banks increasingly seek to diversify reserve assets
Gold has overtaken the euro to become the world’s second-largest reserve asset by market value, according to the European Central Bank. The ECB attributes the shift to record central bank purchases and rising geopolitical tensions.
Central banks increased their gold holdings by more than 1,000 tonnes in 2024 – twice the average annual amount seen in the previous decade – bringing total official holdings to 36,000 tonnes, close to the 1965 peak during the Bretton Woods era, according to the ECB.
“This stockpile, together with high prices, made gold the second-largest global reserve asset at market prices in 2024 – after the US dollar,” the ECB said on Wednesday in its annual review of the international role of the euro.
By market value, gold accounted for 20% of global official reserves at the end of 2024, ahead of the euro at 16%. The price of gold surged nearly 30% in 2024, hitting record highs above $3,500 per troy ounce, significantly boosting its share in reserve portfolios.
The ECB found that “two-thirds of central banks invested in gold for purposes of diversification, while two-fifths did so as protection against geopolitical risk.” Many of the largest buyers were emerging economies, particularly those geopolitically less aligned with the West.
Although the euro’s share in global reserves, measured at constant exchange rates, held steady around 20%, it was overtaken in market value terms due to gold’s price surge. “The international role of the euro remained broadly stable in 2024,” the ECB noted, emphasizing that the euro remained the second most used currency overall.
The ECB has also observed that “some countries have been actively exploring alternatives to traditional cross-border payment systems.”
The countries are mainly “strongly influenced by geopolitical factors” such as the Ukraine conflict and resulting sanctions, rising US-China friction, Middle East instability, and a broader push by BRICS nations to reduce dependence on Western financial systems.
The ECB also cautioned that the euro faces new challenges from developments such as the rising role of cryptocurrencies in cross-border payments and the growing use of stablecoins backed by US Treasuries. The US dollar’s share in foreign exchange reserves declined slightly to 57.8%, according to the report.
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