The ten countries whose central banks or governments report the most gold, from the United States (8,133.5 tonnes) to Poland (about 632 tonnes), as of end-June 2026.
The United States holds the most official gold, 8,133.5 tonnes, followed by Germany (3,350.3 tonnes) and Italy (2,451.8 tonnes). The ranking uses officially reported gold reserves in tonnes as compiled by the World Gold Council from IMF data, as of end-June 2026. The IMF's 2,814 tonnes are shown separately because it is not a country.
Central banks still hold gold as part of their official reserves. This list ranks countries by the tonnes of gold their central bank or government reports, as compiled by the World Gold Council (WGC) from IMF statistics. The United States leads by a wide margin, followed by three euro-area central banks whose holdings date largely from the Bretton Woods era. Poland was the biggest central-bank buyer in the first half of 2026 and China kept buying every month, while Russia sold; China is now ahead of Russia. The International Monetary Fund holds 2,814 tonnes, more than any country except the U.S. and Germany, but it is an international institution, so it is listed below rather than ranked. The same applies to the European Central Bank (about 508 tonnes).
The United States reports 8,133.5 tonnes of gold, far more than any other country and nearly two and a half times Germany's holding. The gold is owned by the U.S. Treasury and stored mainly at Fort Knox, West Point and the Denver Mint.
Germany holds 3,350.3 tonnes, the second-largest national gold reserve. Between 2013 and 2017 the Bundesbank brought 674 tonnes home from New York and Paris; roughly half of its gold is now stored in Frankfurt.
Italy holds 2,451.8 tonnes, the third-largest national reserve and the second-largest in the European Union after Germany. Its holding has not changed in years.
France holds 2,437.0 tonnes, most of it in the Banque de France's underground vault, 'La Souterraine', beneath its Paris headquarters.
China reported about 2,346 tonnes (75.44 million troy ounces) at the end of June 2026, after 20 consecutive months of purchases and 40 tonnes added in the first half. That moved it ahead of Russia into fifth place.
Russia holds about 2,283 tonnes. The Bank of Russia has been a net seller in 2026: the World Gold Council counts 44 tonnes of net sales in the first half of the year, while China kept buying and moved ahead of it.
Switzerland holds 1,039.9 tonnes, a very large amount for a country of its size. In 2014 Swiss voters rejected a proposal to require the SNB to hold at least 20% of its assets in gold.
India holds 880.5 tonnes. In 2024 the Reserve Bank of India moved about 100 tonnes of its gold from the Bank of England to vaults in India.
Japan holds 846.0 tonnes, a level that has barely changed for years; gold is a small part of Japan's reserves, which are dominated by foreign-currency securities.
Poland holds about 632 tonnes and was the world's largest central-bank buyer in the first half of 2026, adding 82 tonnes according to the World Gold Council, enough to enter the top ten ahead of the Netherlands. Its central bank has a stated target of 700 tonnes.
| # | Name | Region | Holder |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | North America | U.S. Treasury |
| 2 | Germany | Europe | Deutsche Bundesbank |
| 3 | Italy | Europe | Banca d'Italia |
| 4 | France | Europe | Banque de France |
| 5 | China | Asia | People's Bank of China |
| 6 | Russia | Europe / Asia | Bank of Russia |
| 7 | Switzerland | Europe | Swiss National Bank |
| 8 | India | Asia | Reserve Bank of India |
| 9 | Japan | Asia | Bank of Japan |
| 10 | Poland | Europe | Narodowy Bank Polski |
Countries are ranked by official gold reserves in metric tonnes as of end-June 2026, the basis of the World Gold Council's gold-reserves-by-country data (IMF International Financial Statistics, September 2026 edition, plus national reports). Only countries are ranked; the IMF (2,814.0 tonnes) and the European Central Bank are excluded because they are institutions, not countries. China's 2,346 tonnes is stated by the WGC for end-June 2026 and matches the People's Bank of China's reported 75.44 million troy ounces (1 tonne = 32,150.75 troy ounces). The WGC's per-country table itself could not be read during our October 2026 review (the full table and its spreadsheet require a Goldhub login), so the other nine figures are as reproduced from the WGC data by Tavex and Minted Metal. Poland's and Russia's end-June figures are rounded: they are consistent with the WGC's monthly statistics (Poland 614 tonnes at end-May plus June purchases; Poland 640 and Russia 2,277 tonnes at end-July after July purchases of 8 tonnes and sales of 6 tonnes) but the WGC does not print an end-June level for either. Rankings 1 to 4 and 7 to 9 change very slowly; China, Russia and Poland change month to month.
The United States, with 8,133.5 tonnes as of end-June 2026, more than double Germany's 3,350.3 tonnes.
No. The International Monetary Fund holds 2,814.0 tonnes, which would place it third, but it is an international institution owned by its member countries, not a country, so it is excluded from the ranks and noted separately.
Much of it was accumulated in the 1950s and 1960s under the Bretton Woods system, when dollars could be converted into gold. These central banks have kept most of it since.
Yes, on the reported figures. The World Gold Council puts China at 2,346 tonnes at end-June 2026 after 20 straight months of purchases, while Russia, a net seller in 2026, held about 2,283 tonnes. By end-July the WGC had China at about 2,366 tonnes and Russia at 2,277.
More like this: all Business & Money rankings · browse every topic