Russia has projected a proven increase of 614 tonnes of gold in 2025, amid gold prices peaking at $5,600 per ounce and global demand exceeding 5,000 tonnes.
The Russian Ministry of Natural Resources announced that the country's proven gold reserves have increased by 614 tons in 2025, reflecting a strong upward trend in the nation's natural resources. This increased exploration and mining activity comes amid continuously record-high global gold prices and record demand from central banks.
Minister Alexander Kozlov stated that positive growth in reserves is expected in 2025 for most raw materials. Besides gold, Russia is also increasing its proven reserves of several other important minerals, including 3 million tons of copper, 938.1 million tons of coal, 984.2 million tons of iron ore, along with 17.3 million tons of titanium and 5,500 tons of tungsten.
In particular, Russia's energy reserves also recorded a significant increase with 640 million tons of oil and condensate, along with 670 billion cubic meters of natural gas. Previously, the Ministry of Natural Resources reported that Russia's gold reserves had increased by more than 804 tons in 2024, showing a continuous upward trend over the past two years.
Gold prices hit a new high amid geopolitical instability.
According to the World Gold Council (WGC), global gold demand reached a record high of over 5,000 tonnes in 2025, with a total value of $555 billion, a 45% increase from the previous year. Gold prices hit new historical highs more than 50 times during the year, while investment in physical gold reached a record $154 billion.
The price of this precious metal has surged by approximately 65% in 2025, reaching $4,300 on global markets, and the upward trend continues into 2026. Gold just hit a new all-time high above $5,600 per ounce, a 10% increase in just one week, as the US dollar is depreciating.
The WGC reported strong demand from central banks throughout 2025, with 863 tonnes purchased. While India and China accounted for the majority, countries such as Poland, Brazil, and Kazakhstan also actively increased their reserves. The central bank of Kazakhstan alone added more than 30 tonnes to its reserves last year.
By the end of 2025, Russia held approximately 2,330 tons of gold, ranking fifth in the world according to data from Trading Economics. The US led with 8,133 tons, followed by Germany with 3,350 tons, Italy with 2,452 tons, and France with 2,437 tons.
A recent report from the Izvestia daily newspaper indicates that gold holdings in the Russian banking sector have almost doubled during the same period, primarily due to high customer demand. According to statistics from the Moscow central bank, investments in precious metals and gemstones nearly doubled in 2025, reaching a total value of 607 billion rubles (equivalent to $8 billion), while the amount of physical gold held by Russian financial institutions exceeded 6 tons.
