Russia Begins Record-High Gold Sell-Off 0 89

In January, the Bank of Russia (Central Bank) became the leader in gold sales volumes. This was reported by experts from the World Gold Council (WGC).

At the beginning of 2026, the Russian regulator started to dispose of the precious metal at record rates — while several central banks collectively purchased a total of five tons of gold (which is less than last year's figure of 27 tons), the Central Bank of Russia sold nine tons.

Bulgaria ranked second in terms of gold sold, having sold 1.9 tons. Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan shared third place, each selling 1.1 tons.

Among the leaders in gold purchases were Turkey (10.2 tons), Uzbekistan (8.7 tons), Malaysia (3.4 tons), the Czech Republic (1.7 tons), and Indonesia — 1.5 tons.