Money

Ranked: The Largest Gold Reserves, by Country

Published

1 year ago

February 20, 2024

Sam Parker

Featured Creator

Article/Editing:

Bruno Venditti

See this visualization first on the Voronoi app.

Ranked: The Largest Gold Reserves, by Country

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Gold remains an important store of value, serving as a hedge and retaining value during economic crises. In 2023, amid uncertainty about US interest rates and continued geopolitical risks, the metal once again demonstrated its importance by hitting a new record in December.

This graphic, by Sam Parker, displays the top 11 countries by gold reserves as of September 2023, based on data from Central Banks, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the World Gold Council.

Central Bank Gold Demand

Most of the world’s gold is stored in various locations, including central bank vaults, private depositories, and jewelry holdings.

Countries maintain gold reserves for various reasons.

Firstly, gold serves as a stable and dependable store of value, enhancing confidence in a nation’s economic stability, especially during times of financial uncertainty.

Additionally, despite the waning relevance of the gold standard, some countries still deem gold reserves crucial for maintaining currency stability.

Moreover, gold’s tangibility enables countries to diversify their overall portfolio. Currently, almost one-fifth of all the gold ever mined is held by central banks.

The U.S. boasts the world’s largest gold reserves, with 8,133 tonnes stored in 12 Federal Reserve Banks across the country:

Country	Tonnes of Gold
🇺🇸 USA	8,133 t
🇩🇪 Germany	3,353 t
🇮🇹 Italy	2,452 t
🇫🇷 France	2,437 t
🇷🇺 Russia	2,333 t
🇨🇳 China	2,192 t
🇨🇭 Switzerland	1,040 t
🇯🇵 Japan	847 t
🇮🇳 India	801 t
🇳🇱 Netherlands	612 t
🇹🇷 Turkey	479 t

Russia and China—arguably the United States’ top geopolitical rivals—have been the largest gold buyers over the last two decades. The People’s Bank of China was the biggest buyer of gold last year, purchasing 225 tonnes.

Seven of the top countries by gold reserves are also among the top 10 biggest economies.

This article was published as a part of Visual Capitalist's Creator Program, which features data-driven visuals from some of our favorite Creators around the world.

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Money

Mapped: Average Salary by State in 2025

There’s a $24/hour gap between the top- and bottom-paying states.

Published

2 days ago

May 15, 2025

Bruno Venditti

map showing the average salary by U.S. state.

Mapped: Average Salary by State in 2025

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

While wages in the U.S. have grown in recent years, many families are still feeling the squeeze of high inflation. Pay levels vary widely not just by profession, but also by geography.

This graphic maps the average salary by U.S. state using the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of March 2025. The figures represent total private hourly earnings, not seasonally adjusted.

DC Tops the List

At the top of the list is Washington, DC, where workers earn an average of $52.89 per hour, far outpacing every state. This reflects the region’s concentration of high-paying jobs in government, law, and professional services.

Massachusetts comes in second at $42.50/hour, followed by Washington at $41.82, and California at $40.93. In common, these states are home to major tech, biotech, and finance hubs.

State/District	Average hourly earnings
District of Columbia	$52.89
Massachusetts	$42.50
Washington	$41.82
California	$40.93
Colorado	$39.20
Connecticut	$39.08
New York	$38.71
Minnesota	$38.25
New Jersey	$37.98
Alaska	$37.65
Hawaii	$37.64
Oregon	$36.58
Virginia	$36.08
Rhode Island	$36.01
Maryland	$35.86
New Hampshire	$35.55
Utah	$35.18
Vermont	$35.18
Illinois	$35.02
Arizona	$34.68
Texas	$34.49
Florida	$34.38
Wisconsin	$34.26
North Dakota	$34.18
Georgia	$34.04
Idaho	$34.03
North Carolina	$33.59
Michigan	$33.31
Ohio	$33.24
Nebraska	$32.77
Montana	$32.73
Pennsylvania	$32.66
Delaware	$32.54
Missouri	$32.45
Maine	$32.22
Indiana	$32.07
South Carolina	$32.05
Nevada	$31.72
Wyoming	$31.59
Kansas	$31.51
Alabama	$31.24
South Dakota	$31.16
Iowa	$30.94
Tennessee	$30.75
Oklahoma	$30.65
Kentucky	$30.18
Arkansas	$29.95
West Virginia	$29.86
New Mexico	$29.19
Louisiana	$29.17
Mississippi	$28.25

At the other end of the spectrum are Mississippi ($28.25) and Louisiana ($29.17)—the only two states with average wages below $30 per hour.

Northeastern states dominate the upper end of the scale, with Connecticut and New York joining Massachusetts above the $38/hour mark. In contrast, much of the South and Midwest sits closer to or below the national median. For example, Iowa ($30.94) and Indiana ($32.07) reflect more modest earnings common in the region.

When compared, the earnings gap between the highest (DC) and lowest (Mississippi) is more than $24 per hour. The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 per hour for workers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), though many states have set their own, often higher, minimum wage rates.