Posted 13th October 2022

How much gold is there in the world?

how much gold bar

Gold has been mined for thousands of years with its appeal enduring through some of the earliest civilisations through to the modern day. 

As gold is both highly valued and relatively easy to be recycled, the bulk of the metal mined is still around in some form today, be that as part of jewellery or as gold bars in vaults around the world. In fact, if all the gold ever mined was collected in one place, it would fit into a crate of 21 meters cubed.

ground to vault gold

Gold’s Journey: From the Ground to the Vault

Global mine supply has remained fairly stable over the last few years and caters for the bulk of global demand for gold, which came in at just over 4,000 tons in 2021. The shortfall is made up by recycling.

Almost half of the gold produced each year is turned into jewellery, with this sector remaining the biggest source of demand. The next largest is as an investment asset with central banks holding vast assets of gold to protect their currencies.

Is gold a safe haven for investors?

While central banks hold gold to manage their currencies, the precious metal can also play a role in diversifying individual investors’ portfolios and managing risk. Gold has been a proven store of value, with one ounce of the metal retaining similar buying power over multiple decades.

As gold is not correlated to the movement of equities and other financial markets, it can be used as a hedge against downward moves on stocks and shares, earning the asset a reputation as the ultimate safe haven.

Different ways you can invest in gold

There are a variety of ways in which an investor can gain exposure to gold. In its simplest form, there is physical gold, with a range of investment-grade bars and coins available from mints around the world. Coming soon, Kinesis will offer a new range of minted bullion coins and bars at their online bullion store, at some of the lowest prices in the precious metals sector.

 The value of an ounce of physical gold is well known throughout the world with bars or coins easy to buy or sell on a highly liquid market.

Another way of gaining exposure to gold is via the gold miners who are listed on stock exchanges across the world. While the fortunes of these miners are largely led by the underlying price of gold, they also typically offer significant dividends, providing shareholders with a yield.

The Future of Gold

Gold is likely to remain valued for many centuries, while its shiny lustre makes it highly sought after in two of the world’s most populated countries: China and India. Indeed, the trend of the last few decades has seen a shift of physical demand moving from Europe and the US to Asia with Turkey and Thailand also significant buyers.

Where the shift in gold’s role is most likely to be noticed is as an investment asset. While gold has always attracted investor interest as a haven asset, its lack of yield has at times lessened its appeal.

Each KAU is backed by one gram of fine gold stored in fully insured and audited vaults, in the buyer’s name with the coin enabling holders to spend, trade, send and earn physical gold, anywhere in the world.

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This publication is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a solicitation, offering or recommendation of any security, commodity, derivative, investment management service or advisory service and is not commodity trading advice. This publication does not intend to provide investment, tax or legal advice on either a general or specific basis