Global central banks bought more than 321 tonnes of gold in the third quarter of 2026, according to BlockBeats’ report published on November 11, 2026, at 21:47 UTC+8. It was the largest quarterly purchase since Q4 2024 and the fifth-largest quarter on record.
The reported total was 8% higher than the more than 296 tonnes purchased in Q2 2026 and 453% higher than in Q1. China and Poland led Q3 demand, adding more than 63 tonnes and more than 40 tonnes, respectively. Year-to-date central-bank purchases exceeded 675 tonnes, up 6% from the same period in 2025.
These figures describe central-bank gold buying; they do not establish how gold performed as an inflation hedge or how it compared with Bitcoin over that period.