How Much Gold Has Been Mined and Is Still Underground?

How Much Gold Exists in the World?

Well, now you wanna know just how much gold there is in this big ol’ world, huh? I tell ya, it’s a lot more than you might think, but not nearly as much as you’d imagine if you only look at the fancy stuff they wear or talk about on the news. It’s actually a little complicated, but I’ll break it down nice and simple for ya, like I’m explaining to my old neighbor down the road.

First off, let me tell ya, there’s about 244,000 metric tons of gold that’s been found so far. That’s a whole heap of gold, but the story don’t stop there. Now, out of that 244,000 tons, 187,000 metric tons have been dug up and turned into things like jewelry, coins, and gold bars. The rest, some 57,000 tons, is still buried deep under the ground, waiting for someone to go get it. It’s like a big treasure hunt, except not many folks are out there looking for it anymore, ’cause we’ve already got most of it!

Now, this gold don’t come from just anywhere, let me tell ya. Most of it’s come from three big places: China, Australia, and South Africa. That’s where the big mines are, and it’s them folks who’ve been doin’ all the hard work pulling that gold outta the ground for years. Those countries have been the main players in the gold game for a long time. So, if you’re wonderin’ where all that shiny stuff comes from, well, now you know.

But you know, just because it’s been dug up doesn’t mean it’s all been used up. As of now, there’s around 184,000 tonnes of gold sittin’ in bank vaults, in government reserves, and even in personal collections. That’s a whole bunch of gold just sittin’ around waitin’ for someone to decide what to do with it. If you piled all that up, you’d get a cube of gold that’s just about 22 meters on each side. Now, that’s a lot of gold, don’t you think?

Now, I know what you’re thinkin’. What about the stuff that’s still in the ground? Well, there’s still about 53,000 metric tons of gold left underground, sittin’ there waitin’ for someone to find it. And, if you ask the folks at the World Gold Council, they reckon that’s about all we’re gonna find. They’ve got it all mapped out, and while there’s a little bit left to discover, it’s not as much as you might think. So, the gold that’s already been mined? That’s most of it!

Now, don’t go thinking that the gold is gonna run out any time soon. You see, every year, the miners dig up a little more. Back in 2019, the world’s gold mines pulled out about 3,531 tonnes of gold. That’s about the same as the year before, give or take a little. But, the big question is, what happens when all the easy gold is gone? Well, that’s a bit of a pickle. Gold’s a precious thing, and they say that as more of it gets dug up, the harder it is to find and get. It’s gonna get real expensive, that’s for sure.

And what about this whole “gold reserve” business? Well, let me tell ya something, my friend, it’s not just in the hands of those big companies and governments. There’s a lot of gold sitting in the hands of regular folks too. People collect it, hoard it, or keep it as an investment. It’s one of them things people don’t just give away. And let’s face it, gold’s been around for thousands of years. Folks know its value, and it ain’t going anywhere anytime soon.

So, in short, here’s what we know:

• 244,000 metric tons of gold has been discovered, with about 187,000 tons already mined.
• There’s about 57,000 metric tons still buried underground, waiting to be dug up.
• The biggest gold producers are China, Australia, and South Africa.
• About 184,000 tons of gold is sitting in vaults, reserves, and collections.
• There’s still about 53,000 tons left in the ground to be discovered.

Now, don’t get too excited and think there’s an endless supply of gold. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. So, if you got any gold sittin’ around, maybe hold onto it a little tighter. You never know when that stuff might get real precious. But that’s the scoop on how much gold is out there in the world, and as far as I’m concerned, that’s about all there is to know unless you plan on digging up some of it yourself!

Tags：[gold, how much gold, world gold, gold reserves, mining gold, gold supply, gold production, world gold council]