Global demand for gold in the first quarter increased by 16% — WGC
Global demand for gold in the first quarter increased by 16% — WGC
sMart-lab.ru - Global demand for gold in the first quarter increased by 16% year-on-year to 1310 tons, according to WGC.
In 2025, the LBMA (PM) gold price continued to set new record highs. The average monthly price in the first quarter reached $2860 per ounce, which is 38% higher than last year.
Key factors contributing to the rise in gold prices: the threat of tariff imposition in the US, geopolitical uncertainty, stock market volatility, and the weakening of the US dollar.
Total demand for gold in value terms nearly reached a record high in the fourth quarter at $111 billion. A slight increase in demand volumes led to a 40% year-on-year increase in value due to rising prices.
Central banks bought 244 tons of gold in the first quarter, which is less than in the previous quarter but falls within the quarterly range over the past three years.
The sharp increase in inflows to gold ETFs led to more than a twofold increase in total investment demand to 552 tons (+170% year-on-year); this is the highest level since the first quarter of 2022.
Demand for bars and coins remained high at 325 tons — 15% above the average over the past five quarters. Most of this growth came from China, where the second-largest volume of retail investment was recorded in the second quarter.
Technological demand in 80 countries remained unchanged from last year. The ongoing implementation of AI contributed to further growth in the electronics sector, but uncertainty regarding tariffs creates a challenging situation for the rest of the year.
Demand for gold jewelry sharply declined amid record prices: sales volumes reached a low not seen since demand was halted by the COVID pandemic in 2020. In value terms, consumer spending on gold jewelry increased by 9% year-on-year to $35 billion.