Advanced economies’ central banks expect gold’s share of global reserves to rise at the expense of the US dollar, as these institutions look to follow the lead of emerging markets in buying bullion.

Almost 60 per cent of rich countries’ central banks believe that gold’s share of global reserves will rise in the next five years, up from 38 per cent of respondents last year, according to an annual survey conducted by the World Gold Council, an industry promotion group.

Around 13 per cent of advanced economies plan to increase their gold holdings in the next year, up from around 8 per cent last year and the highest level since the survey began. That follows the lead of emerging market central banks, which have been the main purchasers of gold since the 2008 global financial crisis.