Poland is in the top 10 countries with the largest gold resources. President of the National Bank of Poland: this is a historic moment
The NBP had 595 tons of gold as at the end of April. This means that during the month the central bank purchased 18 tons. Adam Glapiński reminded that the target is 700 tons.
See also: Adam Glapiński comments on interest rates. “I received a special distinction”
According to data presented by the president of the NBP during Thursday's conference The National Bank of Poland is among the top ten central banks in the world that have the most assets gold. “This is a historic moment” – emphasized Adam Glapiński.
NBP in the top 10 centralized banks with the largest gold resources
The list included:
- United States
- Germany
- Italy
- France
- China
- Russia
- Switzerland
- India
- Japan
- Poland
See also: Polish gold mostly outside Poland. Where is most of the ore?
How much is NBP gold worth?
The value of gold accumulated in the Polish central bank at the end of May this year. amounted to approx. PLN 324.2 billion.
— Exactly PLN 153.2 billion is unrealized gold revenue. Let me remind you that this is the difference between the valuation of our gold, owned by Poland at market prices, and the average purchase price of this gold, Glapiński said.
Central banks are increasing gold reserves. NBP is the largest buyer
Central banks continue to increase gold reserves despite record prices. World Gold Council data shows that in the first quarter of 2026, banks bought approximately 244 tons of gold, and the largest buyer once again in a row was the National Bank of Poland.
Gold reserves of central banks have been growing since 2010 – it was after the financial crisis (in 2007-2008) that banks ceased to be only sellers of gold and became active buyers of the precious metal. Experts from MennicaKapitalowa.pl note that the global crisis was the direct cause of increased confidence in gold as a strategic reserve asset.
Global gold reserves in numbers
- 244 tons – purchases by central banks in the first quarter of 2026.
- 613 tons – NBP gold reserves
- 700 tons – planned level of gold held by the National Bank of Poland
- $5,405 per ounce – historical gold price reached in January 2026
- approximately 36,500 tons – the total amount of gold in global central bank reserves
According to the World Gold Council, between 2022 and 2024, central banks purchased over 1,000 tons of gold per yearwhereas previously average purchases were around 400-500 tons per year.
The scale of purchases we have observed in recent years suggests a visible structural change. Central banks not only respond to current geopolitical events, but also consistently diversify their reserves, favoring assets perceived as more resistant to geopolitical and currency changes.
In the 2025 World Gold Council survey conducted among central banks, as many as 73 percent respondents predicted that reserves would be de-dollarized and that the share of the American currency in global reserves would be moderately or significantly lower in the next five years. At the same time, respondents replied that the share of gold and other currencies would increase in the same period.
Source: Business Insider Polska, PAP, MennicaKapitalowa.pl
