MOSCOW, July 30. /TASS/. Global central banks’ net demand for gold rose significantly in the second quarter of 2026 to 289 tons, which is five times higher than the revised result for the first quarter (57 tons) and marks a record for the second quarter, according to data from the World Gold Council (WGC).

The positive trend in Q2 was driven by the continued accumulation of gold reserves by the central banks of Poland (+51 tons) and China (+33 tons), according to the WGC report.

Other notable buyers included the Central Bank of Uzbekistan (+16 tons), the National Bank of Kazakhstan (+15 tons), the Central Bank of Jordan (+6 tons), and the Czech National Bank (+6 tons).

The Central Bank of Russia reduced its reserves by 22 tons, becoming the largest seller in the reporting period. The Central Bank of Turkey, which was a major seller in the first quarter, reported the sale of 4 tons of gold.

Net central banks’ demand in the first half of the year totaled 345 tons, which is the lowest figure for such a period since 2022 (241 tons).