Gold

Everything You Need to Know About the Swiss Gold Referendum

Published

8 years ago

November 20, 2014

Jeff Desjardins

Everything You Need to Know About the Swiss Gold Referendum

On November 30, Swiss nationals head to the polls on three separate issues: abolishing a flat tax on resident, non-working foreigners, an immigration cap, and a proposal on Swiss gold reserves.

At Visual Capitalist, the one we are most interested in is the latter section of the ballot, and today’s infographic sums up everything you need to know about the upcoming Swiss gold referendum.

The referendum, if passed, will mean that (1) The Swiss National Bank must hold 20% of all assets as gold, (2) Switzerland will repatriate the 30% of their gold held abroad by England and Canada, and (3) Switzerland may no longer sell any gold they accumulate.

In the most recent polling, 38% of respondents supported the initiative, 47% were against, and 15% were undecided. The poll has a 3% margin of error as well. While support is down from the previous poll, anything is still possible on November 30th.

Switzerland currently holds 1,040 tonnes, or 7.7% of its reserves in gold. The country actually holds the highest amount of gold per capita (4.09 oz per citizen). However, it used to be an even bigger holder of the yellow metal. In 2000, the SNB held 2,500 tonnes of gold and it has also been the biggest national seller since.

The implications of the vote are huge. With a “yes”, the SNB would have to purchase at least 1,500 tonnes of gold to meet the 20% threshold for 2019. That’s about half the world’s annual production. It would also put Switzerland back in the top three for most gold holdings worldwide.

Related Topics:gold standard swiss gold referendum switzerland swiss national bank

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Mining

Visualizing the New Era of Gold Mining

This infographic highlights the need for new gold mining projects and shows the next generation of America’s gold deposits.

Written By

Govind Bhutada

Graphics & Design

Athul Alexander

Published January 25, 2023 • Updated January 25, 2023 •

Visualizing the New Era of Gold Mining

Between 2011 and 2020, the number of major gold discoveries fell by 70% relative to 2001-2010.

The lack of discoveries, alongside stagnating gold production, has cast a shadow of doubt on the future of gold supply.

This infographic sponsored by Novagold highlights the need for new gold mining projects with a focus on the company’s Donlin Gold project in Alaska.

The Current State of Gold Production

Between 2010 and 2021, gold production increased steadily until 2018, before leveling and falling.

Year	Gold Production, tonnes	YoY % Change
2010	2,560	-
2011	2,660	3.9%
2012	2,690	1.1%
2013	2,800	4.1%
2014	2,990	6.8%
2015	3,100	3.7%
2016	3,110	0.3%
2017	3,230	3.9%
2018	3,300	2.2%
2019	3,300	0.0%
2020	3,030	-8.2%
2021	3,000	-1.0%

Along with a small decrease in gold production from 2020 levels, there were no new major gold discoveries in 2021. Meanwhile, annual demand for the yellow metal increased by 10%, up from 3,651 tonnes to 4,020 tonnes.

The fall in production and long-term lack of gold discoveries point towards a possible imbalance in gold supply and demand. This calls for the introduction of new gold development projects that can fill the supply-demand gap in the future.

Sustaining Supply: Gold For the Future

Jurisdictions play an important role when looking for projects that could sustain gold production well into the future.

From political stability to trustworthy legal systems, the characteristics of a jurisdiction can make or break mining projects. Amid ongoing market uncertainty, political turmoil, and resource nationalism, projects in safe jurisdictions offer a better investment opportunity for investors and mining companies.

As of 2021, seven of the top 10 mining jurisdictions for investment were located in North America, according to the Fraser Institute. Here’s a look at the top five gold-focused development projects in the region, based on measured and indicated (M&I) gold resources:

Project	M&I Gold Resource, million ounces*	Grade (grams/tonne)	Location
KSM	88.4Moz	0.51g/t	British Columbia 🇨🇦
Donlin Gold**	39.0Moz	2.24g/t	Alaska 🇺🇸
Livengood	13.6Moz	0.60g/t	Alaska 🇺🇸
Côté Gold	13.6Moz	0.96g/t	Ontario 🇨🇦
Blackwater	11.7Moz	0.61g/t	British Columbia 🇨🇦

*Inclusive of mineral reserves. **See cautionary statement regarding Donlin Gold’s mineral reserves and resources.

Located in Alaska, one of the world’s safest mining jurisdictions, Novagold’s Donlin Gold project has the highest average grade of gold among these major projects. For every tonne of ore, Donlin Gold offers 2.24 grams of gold, which is more than twice the global average grade of 1.03g/t.

Additionally, Donlin Gold is the second-largest gold-focused development project in the Americas, with over 39 million ounces of gold in M&I resources inclusive of reserves.

Novagold is focused on the Donlin Gold project in equal partnership with Barrick Gold. Click here to learn more now.

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