Gold demand globally 2010-2023

Worldwide gold demand amounted to 4,448.3 metric tons in 2023, an increase from 4,740.8 metric tons in the previous year. Also, 2020 was the first time demand for gold was lower than 4,000 metric tons throughout the period considered, and the driving force behind that drop was the coronavirus pandemic. 

Gold supply

The supply of gold depends largely on the mine production of gold. Production, in turn, depends on two factors. The countries with higher reserves of gold work harder to extract their gold when the price of gold increases, following standard theory that quantity supplied increases with price. Similarly, the expectation of higher prices in the future prompts speculators to explore for new reserves. As new lodes are discovered, the supply of gold increases.

Investments in gold

Gold is subject to cyclical volatility in its rate of return, and many investors speculate on its value. However, for historic reasons many view it as a symbol of price stability. After World War II, the Bretton Woods system tied the price of all major currencies to the price of gold until the 1970s. This legacy means that most countries still maintain large gold reserves. While this can drive gold demand, it also reduces the supply of gold in circulation by locking huge amounts of gold in central bank vaults. Gold demand was noticeably higher following the Financial Crisis, until the coronavirus pandemic hit. Many investors look to gold in periods of market turmoil because they believe that it holds value through recessions better than other assets.