As of December 2024, gold had an average 20-year return rate of 9.47 percent, which was one percent below U.S. stocks with a rate of 10.27 percent.

Between January 1971 and March 2024, gold had average annual returns of 7.98 percent, which was only slightly behind the return of commodities, with an annual average of eight percent. The annual average return of gold in 2023 was 13.1 percent. What is the total global demand for gold? The global demand for gold remains robust owing to its historical importance, financial stability, and cultural appeal. During economic uncertainty, investors look for a safe haven, while emerging markets fuel jewelry demand. A distinct contrast transpired during COVID-19, when the global demand for gold experienced a sharp decline in 2020 owing to a reduction in consumer spending. However, the subsequent years saw an increase in demand for the precious metal. How much gold is produced worldwide? The production of gold depends mainly on geological formations, market demand, and the cost of production. These factors have a significant impact on the discovery, extraction, and economic viability of gold mining operations worldwide. In 2024, the worldwide production of gold was expected to reach 124 million ounces, and it is anticipated that the rate of growth will increase as exploration technologies improve, gold prices rise, and mining practices improve.

Gold is the most popular precious metal in the investment industry. The rate of return for gold investments fluctuated significantly during the period from 2002 to 2024 but generated positive returns in most years of the observed period. The return of gold as an investment reached almost 27 percent in 2024, one of the highest recorded. Why is gold valuable? Gold is a precious metal with a number of practical uses, particularly in technology. For example, NASA uses gold to improve its lasers and protect sensitive things in space, including a part of the visor for its astronauts. However, a large share of the demand for gold worldwide is as an investment, particularly by central banks. Gold serves the purpose of an alternative to currency because it is relatively scarce but still has enough mine production to serve the financial sector. Gold as an investment Under the Bretton Woods agreement after World War II, the world’s major currencies were tied to the value of gold. This system, called the Gold Standard, ended in 1971. Still, most countries maintain significant gold reserves. Due to this history and the overall faith in the value of gold, the average gold price tends to increase in times of recession, making it an attractive investment in uncertain times.

Historical dataset of nominal and real (inflation-adjusted) gold prices per ounce back to 1915. The series is deflated using the headline Consumer Price Index (CPI) with the most recent month as the base. The current month is updated on an hourly basis with today's latest value.

As of December 2024, U.S. stocks had an average 10-year return rate of 13.1 percent, whereas gold had a return rate of 8.33 percent. Gold mining overview In light of recent technological advancements shaping the gold mining market, global gold production has been rather stable in the last few years, hovering around 3,000 metric tons since 2020. Among nations, Australia holds the highest gold production, surpassing countries with the highest mine gold reserves. Gold as a financial security Known for its ability to provide diversification to investment portfolios, gold has exhibited a positive trend in its Gold’s return rate was particularly high in the early 2000s, and, despite experiencing a decline during the pandemic, it demonstrated a remarkable recovery since. Furthermore, gold serves as a valuable asset for a nation's economic stability, with the United States holding the highest amount of

Gold increased 393.93 USD/t oz. or 15.01% since the beginning of 2025, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. Gold - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on March of 2025.

Long term historical dataset of the NASDAQ Composite stock market index since 1971. Historical data is inflation-adjusted using the headline CPI and each data point represents the month-end closing value. The current month is updated on an hourly basis with today's latest value.

Ten years of daily data for the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) market index. Each point of the dataset is represented by the daily closing price for the DJIA. Historical data can be downloaded via the red button on the upper right corner of the chart.

In 2023, one troy ounce of gold had an annual average price of 1,943.08 U.S. dollars. Gold market and industry From 2012 to 2018, the annual average gold price dropped from 1,668.98 U.S. dollars per troy ounce to 1,268.49 U.S. dollars per troy ounce, with a slight growth to approximately 1,400 U.S. dollars per troy ounce in 2019. In 2020 the figure rebounded to a record 1,769.64 U.S. dollars per ounce. The average price has grown significantly from the early 2000s with an annual average price of 279 U.S. dollars per troy ounce in 2001 up to the record high in 2020. Similarly, the costs of mining gold have risen considerably in recent years. In 2005, mining costs totaled 280 U.S. dollars per troy ounce and increased to 566 U.S. dollars per troy ounce in 2010. As of 2022, for example, Canadian company Barrick Gold reported an average realized gold price of 1,795 dollars per ounce. Gold pricing determinants Gold is a metal that is considered malleable, ductile, and is known for its bright lustrous yellow color. This transition metal is highly valued as a precious metal for its use in coins, jewelry, and in investments. Gold was also once used as a standard for monetary policies between different countries. The price of gold is determined by daily fixings where participants agree to buy or sell at a set price or to maintain the price through supply and demand control. For gold, companies like Barclays Capital, Scotia-Mocatta, Sociétè Générale, HSBC, and Deutsche Bank are members in gold fixing at the London Bullion Market Association.

Dataset of historical annual gold prices from 1970 to 2024, including significant events and acts that impacted gold prices.

Dataset of historical annual silver prices from 1970 to 2022, including significant events and acts that impacted silver prices.

Silver increased 4.76 USD/t. oz or 16.49% since the beginning of 2025, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. Silver - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on March of 2025.

This statistic depicts the average monthly prices for gold worldwide from January 2014 through January 2025. In January 2025, the average monthly price for gold worldwide stood at 2,709.69 nominal U.S. dollars per troy ounce.

In 2023, the average nominal price of silver in India was 61,981 Indian rupees for one kilogram, which was a decrease of over 14,000 rupees from the previous year. India was the world's 11th largest silver mining country as of 2021.