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Central Bank Gold Purchases Rise to 244 Tonnes in Q1 2026

The reported 36-tonne quarterly increase puts official sector buying above the recent five-year average and at its highest level since Q4 2024.

Fact Check
The claim is directly and authoritatively confirmed by the World Gold Council's official Gold Demand Trends Q1 2026 report (published 29 April 2026), which is the primary data source for global gold demand statistics. The report explicitly states 244 tonnes of net central bank purchases in Q1 2026, up 3% year-on-year. The 36-tonne quarter-on-quarter increase (from Q4 2025) and the characterization as above the five-year average (~228 tonnes) are consistent with the WGC data and corroborated by multiple independent news outlets including Aletihad, Economy Middle East, and IndexBox. The 'highest since Q4 2024' framing is plausible given Q4 2024 saw an exceptional ~365-tonne spike and Q1 2025 was approximately 237 tonnes (244t in Q1 2026 being +3% y/y implies Q1 2025 was ~237t), making Q1 2026 the strongest quarter since that Q4 2024 peak. All key figures in the claim align with the authoritative WGC primary source.
Summary

Global central bank gold purchases totaled 244 tonnes in Q1 2026, up 36 tonnes and marking the strongest quarterly level since Q4 2024. The figure is above the recent five-year average of about 228 tonnes, indicating continued official-sector demand for gold. The comparison with the 2016-2020 average of about 115 tonnes shows that current buying levels are more than double that earlier period, underscoring how reserve-management behavior has shifted in recent years.

Terms & Concepts
  • Central bank reserves: Assets held by central banks, often including gold and foreign currencies, to support monetary and financial stability.
  • Official sector buying: Purchases made by central banks or other state monetary authorities, often tracked as a key driver of gold demand.
  • Quarterly demand: Market purchases measured over a three-month period, used to compare momentum across reporting intervals.