Earths Gold Supply: Uncovering the Total Amount of Mined and Hidden Gold

Well now, y’know, folks often wonder about how much gold there really is on Earth. Some folks might say, “Oh, there’s just a little bit here and there, not much to worry about,” but I can tell ya, there’s more gold on this planet than you might think, though not as much as you might hope.

As of the year 2021, scientists reckon there’s about 197,000 tonnes of gold scattered ’round this ol’ world. Now, mind you, that don’t mean it’s all sittin’ pretty in one spot. Some of that gold’s in the ground, some in banks, and some’s probably in the hands of folks who’ve been hoarding it for a rainy day. It’s hard to know for sure just where all of it is!

The World Gold Council—those folks are always keepin’ track of things like this—says that around 184,000 tonnes of gold’s been dug up, and it’s either stashed away in government vaults or sittin’ in the safe of some rich folks. And don’t go thinkin’ that’s the end of it! There’s still more waiting down below, deep in the Earth. About 54,000 tonnes of gold are still underground, just waitin’ to be dug up by the next generation. But even that don’t add up to much when you consider how much has already been taken outta the ground.

Now, if you’re wonderin’ how much gold we’ve found altogether, not just what’s sittin’ in vaults, but every little nugget and chunk of gold ever dug up, it comes to about 244,000 metric tons. But here’s the kicker—most of that gold didn’t come from just anywhere. Nope, the biggest chunks of it came from just three countries: China, Australia, and South Africa. Them folks have been diggin’ gold outta the ground for a long time, and they got the most to show for it.

But here’s the thing folks don’t usually talk about. There’s still a lotta gold left down there, hidden beneath the Earth’s crust. Scientists say there’s around 57,000 metric tons of gold deep below the surface that hasn’t been found yet. Some of it might be in hard-to-reach places, and some of it might be too small to bother with. But all together, it adds up to a whole lotta gold!

Now, let me tell you somethin’ a little outta the ordinary. If you think our planet’s got a lotta gold, well, you’d be wrong if you think Earth’s the one with the most gold in it. Nope, that honor goes to Jupiter! Yep, the big ol’ planet out there in the sky has a lot more gold than we do, based on the number of gold atoms in its atmosphere. I reckon it’d be easier to just say it has about 140,000 tonnes of gold—roughly the same amount as what’s been mined in the entire history of humankind. So, if you’re ever feelin’ poor, just look up at Jupiter and imagine all that gold floatin’ out there.

But let’s not get too carried away. While gold’s important, it ain’t the only thing in this world. You got your oxygen, silicon, aluminum, and iron, which make up the bulk of the Earth’s crust. But don’t forget, gold, silver, and copper—they’re still mighty valuable, and folks still search for ‘em like crazy. Some of that gold might end up in jewelry or fancy coins, but a lot of it stays locked away in vaults, just waitin’ to be used when the time comes.

So, if you’re wonderin’, “How much gold is really on Earth?”, the simple answer is: there’s a lot! But there’s even more where that came from, buried deep down, waitin’ to be found. And if you get tired of waitin’ around for Earth to give up all that gold, just remember: Jupiter’s out there, full of it too!

Tags：[gold, gold on Earth, gold reserves, gold mining, Earth’s crust, World Gold Council, Jupiter’s gold, gold reserves on Earth]