Shafaq News- Baghdad
The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) ranked among the world’slargest central bank gold buyers between 2020 and 2025, amid a broadaccumulation trend led by emerging markets facing global economic volatilityand rising geopolitical risks, according to data from the World Gold Council.
Iraq recorded a net increase of approximately 74.6 metrictons in its gold reserves during the period, placing it 11th globally. Chinatopped the list with additions exceeding 357 tons, followed by Poland andTurkiye, while countries such as India and Brazil also significantly boostedtheir holdings.
According to CBI, the country’sgold reserves exceeded 160 tons at the beginning of 2026.Data from the World Bank for March 2026 showed Iraq ranked third among Arabcountries with reserves of 174.6 tons, accounting for 24.6 percent of its totalforeign currency reserves, behind Saudi Arabia and Lebanon.