Global Gold Price Trends 1960-2025

According to World Bank data, the average price of gold in the global market in 2025 reached US$3,442/troy ounce.

Its price increased by approximately 44% compared to the average price of the previous year (year-on-year/yoy).

When calculated cumulatively, during the period 1960—2025, the average world gold price has increased by approximately 9,660% or surged 98-fold.

The World Bank assesses that the increase in gold prices in 2025 is influenced by geopolitical uncertainty. This drives an increase in demand for safe-haven assets, one of which is gold.

The surge in commodity prices is also influenced by the loosening monetary policy of the United States (US), the depreciation of the US dollar, and the increasing trend of gold purchases by central banks in various countries.

Nevertheless, this surge in gold prices is not the first time it has occurred. According to World Bank records, gold prices have surged much higher decades ago.

The highest surge occurred in 1980, when the average world gold price skyrocketed by 98% (yoy).

Significant increases in gold prices also occurred in 1973, 1974, and 1979, when their average price rose in the range of 58—67% (yoy).

Meanwhile, the percentage increase in gold prices in 2025 is the fifth highest since the World Bank began recording data in 1960.

According to the World Bank, increases in gold prices often coincide with rising investor concerns about the global situation.

"Gold prices are often seen as a barometer of global uncertainty. Past conflicts and geopolitical uncertainties have often been accompanied by increases in gold prices," said the World Bank in its October 2023 Commodity Markets Outlook report.