Gold’s historic rise: What’s behind the ups (and downs)? - BBC World Service

Gold hit an unprecedented high in 2026.

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Global instability, conflict, and a lack of trust in the US dollar drove the increase and also led to countries stocking up on the precious metal. So why has gold climbed so high, where does it go from here, and how did this ancient form of money come to underpin our financial systems?

00:00 - 00:25 Why is gold breaking records?
00:26 - 01:26 How much gold is there on Earth?
01:27 - 02:43 From ancient coins to the gold standard
02:44 - 04:17 Why did the gold standard end?
04:18 - 05:34 Why does gold surge during crises?
05:35 - 05:36 Why are central banks buying more gold?
07:09 - 08:08 What's behind the recent price boom?
08:09 - 08:10 Why has gold started falling again?
08:11 - 0:938 Why investors keep returning to gold

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