Since the beginning of 2026, Iraq has been off the list of gold buyers.
Since the beginning of 2026, Iraq has been off the list of gold buyers.
2026-05-25
Shafaq News – Baghdad
Iraq did not record any new gold purchases during 2026, despite a number of central banks around the world continuing to increase their holdings of the precious metal.
Iraq holds a reserve of 174.6 tons of the precious metal, placing it 28th globally among the largest countries possessing gold reserves.
Poland topped the list of the world’s largest gold buyers this year, adding more than 20 tons to its reserves by the end of February, as part of a long-term plan to raise its stock to 700 tons, driven by growing security concerns on NATO’s eastern front.
According to data from the World Gold Council, which was reviewed by Shafaq News Agency, Uzbekistan came in second place with an addition of 16.48 tons, followed by Kazakhstan with 6.51 tons, while other countries recorded limited increases, including Malaysia, China and the Czech Republic.
In contrast, some countries resorted to selling part of their gold reserves, with Russia topping the list of sellers with a net decrease of 15.55 tons, followed by Turkey with a reduction of 8.08 tons, amid financial pressures and internal economic challenges.
Experts noted that the increasing global demand for gold reflects a growing trend to diversify reserves away from the US dollar, especially after the freezing of about $300 billion of Russian central bank assets in 2022, which prompted a number of emerging economies to strengthen gold as a reserve asset less vulnerable to geopolitical fluctuations and financial sanctions.
shafaq.com
