Central banks net-sold gold for 1st time in 10 months
For the first time in 10 months, central banks worldwide sold more gold than they bought in March 2026.
According to the World Gold Council, a net of nearly 30 metric tons was offloaded (mostly by Turkey and Russia) to help with currency needs and budget gaps.
Even Azerbaijan's State Oil Fund joined in, selling 22 metric tons this quarter.
Poland led buyers while prices fell
While some countries were letting go of their gold, others kept adding to their stash.
Poland led the buyers with 11 metric tons in March, followed by Uzbekistan (9 metric tons), Kazakhstan (6 metric tons), and China (5 metric tons), with China now on a 17-month gold-buying streak.
Meanwhile, even though central banks were active, global gold prices dropped over 15% since January's peak but are still up for the year.