According to the World Gold Council's estimation, global central banks had a net purchase of 244 tons of gold in the first quarter, an increase from 208 tons in the previous quarter, marking the fastest growth rate in over a year. Poland, Uzbekistan and China were the main buyers, while Türkiye, Russia and Azerbaijan sold about 115 tons due to policy reasons. Despite fluctuations in gold prices, it reached a high of nearly $5600 per ounce at the end of January and fell about 12% in March. Some central bank purchases have not been made public, estimated through trade data and research.
