The World Gold Council (WGC) said in its Q3 2026 Gold Demand Trends report, released on 3 November, that central banks bought a net 321 tonnes of gold in the third quarter, up 42% from a year earlier. Year-to-date purchases of 675 tonnes are 6% higher than in the same period of 2025.
Gold-backed exchange-traded funds returned to inflows after the second quarter, adding 211 tonnes. The WGC said this was only 6% below the strong inflows of Q3 2025 and that holdings rose to a record 4,256 tonnes. The release does not describe the quarterly inflow itself as a record, and it gives no US dollar value for the flows.
Total gold demand came in at 1,369 tonnes, down 1% year on year, while its value rose 22% to $188 billion. The WGC reported an average gold price of $4,262 per ounce for the quarter.
Other segments were weaker. Bar and coin demand fell 19% to 268 tonnes. Jewellery demand dropped 17% to 313 tonnes, which the WGC described as the weakest third quarter in its data series, although its value edged up to $43 billion.
All figures are from the World Gold Council. The council attributed the softer retail and jewellery demand to the high price level.
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