Members of the BRICS Plus trade bloc now hold over 6 000 t of gold, representing about 17.4% of total global central bank reserves, up from 11.2% in 2019, financial services group EBC Financial Group (EBC) reveals in a market note. Russia leads BRICS Plus with 2 336 t, while China holds 2 298 t and India 880 t of gold. Together, Russia and China control about 74% of the bloc’s total gold holdings. Between 2020 and 2024, BRICS Plus member central banks bought more than 50% of all gold bought by sovereigns globally. In the first nine months of 2025, BRICS Plus nations added 663 t of gold, worth about $91-billion, to ... (full story)