Central banks worldwide bought a net 39 tonnes of gold in August, bringing their combined net purchases for the first eight months of the year to 170 tonnes.
Poland remained the largest gold buyer year to date, adding 98 tonnes, followed by China with 80 tonnes. Uzbekistan ranked third, with purchases approaching 50 tonnes.
Other buyers in August included Kazakhstan, which added 7 tonnes, Turkey with 3 tonnes and the Czech Republic with 2 tonnes. Russia and Jordan reduced their gold holdings by 6 tonnes and 3 tonnes, respectively.
By the end of August, Uzbekistan's gold reserves stood at approximately 439 tonnes, accounting for around 90% of the country's international reserves, the WGC reported.
Gold exports fall sharply
Uzbekistan's continued gold purchases by its central bank come as the country's gold exports have declined sharply. The country did not export gold in August, according to the National Statistics Committee.
Gold exports totaled $2.8 billion in January–August, down from $8.32 billion in the same period of 2025, a decline of roughly two-thirds. Uzbekistan exported gold only in April, when shipments were valued at $1.5 billion, and July, when they amounted to $1.3 billion.
The decline in gold shipments weighed on overall export performance. Uzbekistan's total exports fell by 3.4% year on year to $22.86 billion in the first eight months of 2026, despite growth in exports of industrial goods and services.
