World Gold Council reports Bank of Russia at forefront of January gold disposals

The Bank of Russia emerged as the top seller of gold in January, the World Gold Council (WGC) confirmed. The central bank sold nine tons of the precious metal, marking a record pace of divestment at the start of 2026.

In contrast, several other central banks collectively purchased only five tons of gold, a significant drop from 27 tons acquired in the same period last year.

Following Russia, Bulgaria ranked second in gold sales with 1.9 tons, while Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan each sold 1.1 tons.

On the buying side, Türkiye led global purchases with 10.2 tons, followed by Uzbekistan (8.7 tons), Malaysia (3.4 tons), the Czech Republic (1.7 tons), and Indonesia (1.5 tons).

By Vafa Guliyeva