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Where does China get its gold? Import sources 2024

In 2024, China imported $73.7 billion of gold (936 tonnes), 13.3% of the world total. Its main sources were Switzerland (39%), Hong Kong (19%) and South Africa (12%). China was the world’s 2nd-largest importer of gold.

Summary

Value
$73.7billion
Tonnes
936tonnes
Share of world total
13.3%
World rank
2nd
Routes from the main sources. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Sources

The 20 main sources in the latest year.

PartnerValue (USD billions)TonnesUSD per tonneShareMode
Switzerland29Tonnes: 365USD per tonne: $79,378,63439.4%Air
Hong Kong re-exports14Tonnes: 181USD per tonne: $77,083,70819%Land
South Africa9Tonnes: 124USD per tonne: $73,061,14312.3%Air
Canada6.1Tonnes: 67USD per tonne: $90,336,7078.3%Air
Australia5.9Tonnes: 68USD per tonne: $86,460,0748%Air
Germany2.7Tonnes: 36USD per tonne: $74,410,1663.6%Air
Kyrgyzstan2.7Tonnes: 30USD per tonne: $87,275,1233.6%Land
Singapore re-exports1.3Tonnes: 25USD per tonne: $50,856,0271.7%Air
Japan1Tonnes: 11USD per tonne: $93,092,9541.4%Air
Armenia0.45Tonnes: 7USD per tonne: $67,160,7690.61%Air
United Arab Emirates0.33Tonnes: 5USD per tonne: $73,166,9260.45%Air
Taiwan0.23Tonnes: 3USD per tonne: $90,307,5870.31%Air
Russia0.22Tonnes: 3USD per tonne: $80,312,1600.3%Land
Mexico0.14Tonnes: 2USD per tonne: $70,001,0220.19%Air
Guyana0.11Tonnes: 2USD per tonne: $71,041,1370.16%Air
Kazakhstan0.07Tonnes: 1USD per tonne: $67,680,3450.1%Land
United States0.07Tonnes: 1USD per tonne: $73,088,5930.09%Air
South Korea0.06Tonnes: 1USD per tonne: $58,447,1710.08%Air
Laos0.06Tonnes: 1USD per tonne: $76,632,9510.08%Land
Sweden0.05Tonnes: 1USD per tonne: $75,095,0830.07%Air

Trend

Who it buys from

Switzerland has been its main source since 2016

Value in USD billions. The five largest sources in 2024.

  • Switzerland 29
  • Hong Kong 14
  • South Africa 9
  • Canada 6.1
  • Australia 5.9

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
Switzerland029
Hong Kong0.0114
South Africa09
Canada06.1
Australia05.9

Sources and methodology

Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), which reconciles what exporters and importers report: countries that stopped reporting (Russia since 2022) appear with their partners’ data. FOB values in current US dollars; tonnes when BACI reports them. The price per tonne is the value of the rows with a weight divided by that weight. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Data up to 2024.

Hong Kong, Singapore, the Netherlands and Belgium re-export goods from other countries: their figures include transit.

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