New Delhi, Nov. 3 -- Central banks increased their gold purchases to 321 tonnes in the third quarter of 2026, surpassing recent typical quarterly buying levels and taking their total purchases during the year so far to 675 tonnes, up 6 per cent year-on-year, according to the World Gold Council (WGC).

The report stated that the strong buying by central banks came even as high gold prices weighed on jewellery consumption and demand for bars and coins across global markets.

It said "Central bank buying jumped to 321t in Q3, eclipsing recent typical quarterly buying levels and lifting y-t-d demand to 675t (+6% y/y)."

The WGC said central bank purchases in the July-September quarter were significantly higher than recent quarterly levels. It...