10 countries with largest gold reserves in the world

The World Gold Council estimates that central banks will have purchased 500 tonnes of gold in 2012, up from 465 tonnes last year, according to Business Insider.

Global gold reserves total 31,491 tonnes as of December 2012, it says.

Let's have a look at 10 countries with largest gold reserves in the world.

Source: Business Insider

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The United States

Official gold holdings: 8,133.5 tonnes

Per cent of foreign reserves in gold: 76.1 per cent

Global rank: 1

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Germany

Official gold holdings: 3,391.3 tonnes

Per cent of foreign reserves in gold: 73.2 per cent

Global rank: 2

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Italy

Official gold holdings: 2,451.8 tonnes

Per cent of foreign reserves in gold: 72.5 percent

Global rank: 3

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France

Official gold holdings: 2,435.4 tonnes

Per cent of foreign reserves in gold: 72.0 per cent

Global rank: 4

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China

Official gold holdings: 1,054.1 tonnes

Per cent of foreign reserves in gold: 1.7 per cent

Global rank: 5

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Switzerland

Official gold holdings: 1,040.1 tonnes

Per cent of foreign reserves in gold: 11.0 per cent

Global rank: 6

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Russia

Official gold holdings: 934.9 tonnes

Per cent of foreign reserves in gold: 9.8 per cent

Global rank: 7

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Japan

Official gold holdings: 765.2 tonnes

Per cent of foreign reserves in gold: 3.3 per cent

Global rank: 8

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The Netherlands

Official gold holdings: 612.5 tonnes

Per cent of foreign reserves in gold: 60.3 per cent

Global rank: 9

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India

Official gold holdings: 557.7 tonnes

Per cent of foreign reserves in gold: 10.3 per cent

Global rank: 10