France official reserve assets: monetary gold
France official reserve assets: monetary gold stood at 289,029 EUR million in Sep 2026, according to Banque de France – Webstat (webstat.banque-france.fr). It is one of the indicators in the Official reserve assets table (Value · Monthly), with a complete series running from Jan 2012 to Sep 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Official reserve assets table
| Indicator | 09-2026 | 08-2026 | 07-2026 | 06-2026 | 05-2026 | 04-2026 | 03-2026 | 02-2026 | 01-2026 | 12-2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Official reserve assets | 365,411 | 375,941 | 351,781 | 352,266 | 379,021 | 384,016 | 387,349 | 419,283 | 407,209 | 360,830 | |
| Monetary gold | 289,029 | 301,161 | 276,793 | 277,027 | 304,837 | 310,092 | 312,909 | 345,872 | 334,051 | 287,480 | |
| Special drawing rights (SDR) | 33,458 | 32,905 | 33,148 | 33,155 | 32,621 | 32,591 | 32,726 | 32,181 | 32,083 | 32,261 |
Understanding france official reserve assets: monetary gold
Monetary gold captures the value of unallocated and allocated physical precious metal bars held securely in official vaults by the central bank as part of the broader external reserve buffer. This specific row isolates the financial worth of gold holdings from foreign currency instruments, special drawing rights, and credit positions, providing a dedicated measure of precious metal reserves. Excluded are industrial gold inventories, private holdings, and any gold pledged under swap agreements that alter effective ownership or encumber the metal.
Evaluation of this series demands careful separation of physical quantity changes from market price volatility, since monthly valuation adjustments reflect shifting international bullion prices rather than physical transactions. Month-on-month shifts frequently mirror global market pricing dynamics rather than active central bank buying or selling programs. Observers comparing this row against foreign currency holdings should note that precious metal values lack the interest-yielding characteristics typical of debt securities and deposits.
Frequently asked questions
- Does monetary gold include privately owned gold within the country?
- No, this metric counts exclusively the physical gold owned and held securely in vaults by the central bank.
- Why does the value of monetary gold change without any transactions?
- Shifts in international market prices for gold automatically revalue the existing stock reported in euro terms every period.
- How does monetary gold differ from foreign currency reserves?
- Monetary gold represents a physical commodity held in vaults, whereas foreign currency reserves consist of liquid claims, deposits, and debt securities.