According to the WGC’s Gold Demand Trends Full Year 2025 report, total global gold demand reached a record 5,002 tonnes in 2025. Strong momentum in the fourth quarter capped an exceptional year for the gold market, as prolonged geopolitical and economic uncertainty channelled investment flows into gold, pushing the total annual value of investment demand to US$555 billion.

Shaokai Fan, Head of Asia-Pacific (ex China) and Global Head of Central Banks at the World Gold Council, said investors worldwide continued to add gold to their portfolios, supported by its role as a safe-haven asset, diversification benefits and strong price performance. Central banks, he added, also maintained steady gold purchases.

Global investment demand for gold reached a record 2,175 tonnes, serving as the main growth driver for the year. Investors seeking safe-haven assets and portfolio diversification channelled substantial funds into gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs), with net purchases totalling 801 tonnes for the full year.

Alongside ETF inflows, demand for physical gold,  primarily bars and coins, also rose sharply, with global demand reaching 1,374 tonnes, equivalent to US$154 billion. China and India, the two largest markets, posted year-on-year gains of 28% and 17%, respectively, together accounting for more than half of total demand in this segment.

Investment in gold bars and coins across most markets in the ASEAN region rose to multi-year highs. Thailand recorded its strongest gold investment since 2018, with investment value reaching a 12-year high of about US$6 billion. Indonesia also maintained consistently strong gold investment activity over recent quarters.

The World Gold Council identified Vietnam as a notable outlier within ASEAN. Gold investment demand fell 15% year on year, from 8.2 tonnes in the fourth quarter of 2024 to 7 tonnes in the fourth quarter of 2025. This marked the sixth consecutive quarter of year-on-year decline and the weakest fourth-quarter level since 2021, with supply constraints cited as a key factor.

According to the council, shortages of SJC gold bars have weighed on the market and pushed the premium of domestic gold prices over international prices to more than US$550 per ounce. As gold investment options narrowed, demand for 24K gold rings, viewed as an alternative investment form, increased.

Gold bar prices skyrocket past VND190 mln/tael amid global rally

VOV.VN - Domestic gold bar prices have crossed the VND190 million mark per tael, setting a record high as global gold prices rise.