Swiss Gold Imports by Country
Switzerland imported 228 tonnes of unwrought gold in September 2026 (down 3% by weight on September 2025), worth $24.3 billion. Over the past 12 months the biggest sources by value were United Arab Emirates ($72.1bn), United States ($55.0bn), Italy ($16.6bn), Germany ($9.1bn); mined gold made up 20% of the value. Recent months are provisional.
Gold imported into Switzerland each month (tonnes)
Jan 2021–Sep 2026Where the Gold Came From: Last 12 Months
Oct 2025–Sep 2026. Imports by country of origin, largest value first.
| Country | Value ($bn) | Share of value | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Arab Emirates | 72.15 | 29.1% | 504.1 |
| United States | 54.96 | 22.2% | 398.6 |
| Italy | 16.57 | 6.7% | 117.7 |
| Germany | 9.13 | 3.7% | 84.6 |
| Canada | 8.71 | 3.5% | 74.3 |
| Ghana | 6.06 | 2.4% | 49.4 |
| Burkina Faso | 6.05 | 2.4% | 50.7 |
| Côte d'Ivoire | 5.38 | 2.2% | 50.9 |
| Australia | 4.05 | 1.6% | 65.5 |
| Japan | 4.05 | 1.6% | 28.7 |
| Thailand | 3.97 | 1.6% | 27.1 |
| South Africa | 3.83 | 1.5% | 27.2 |
| Peru | 3.44 | 1.4% | 93.5 |
| United Kingdom | 3.21 | 1.3% | 29.1 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 2.96 | 1.2% | 20.4 |
| All countries | 247.99 | 100% | 2,323.8 |
All 84 countries
| Country | Value ($m) | Tonnes, 12 months | Previous 12 months (t) | Mined gold (t) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Arab Emirates | 72,145.2 | 504.14 | 349.78 | 0.15 |
| United States | 54,959.3 | 398.56 | 322.80 | 14.85 |
| Italy | 16,574.2 | 117.75 | 43.85 | — |
| Germany | 9,130.9 | 84.61 | 80.90 | 0.00 |
| Canada | 8,707.0 | 74.30 | 102.02 | 38.18 |
| Ghana | 6,064.5 | 49.38 | 53.21 | 49.38 |
| Burkina Faso | 6,047.9 | 50.71 | 43.51 | 50.71 |
| Côte d'Ivoire | 5,378.4 | 50.91 | 55.66 | 50.91 |
| Australia | 4,052.6 | 65.53 | 191.98 | — |
| Japan | 4,047.5 | 28.73 | 39.02 | 1.62 |
| Thailand | 3,969.6 | 27.09 | 57.96 | — |
| South Africa | 3,830.2 | 27.18 | 52.23 | — |
| Peru | 3,444.2 | 93.52 | 158.48 | 60.79 |
| United Kingdom | 3,211.4 | 29.12 | 78.22 | — |
| Kyrgyzstan | 2,960.9 | 20.38 | 6.34 | — |
| Argentina | 2,579.0 | 145.14 | 161.20 | 145.14 |
| Finland | 2,578.7 | 19.68 | 17.81 | 7.83 |
| China | 2,402.4 | 17.19 | 22.59 | — |
| Türkiye | 2,312.3 | 16.58 | 12.90 | — |
| Brazil | 2,189.6 | 21.46 | 23.56 | 21.07 |
| Chile | 2,075.5 | 181.91 | 188.18 | 181.49 |
| Egypt | 2,025.4 | 17.06 | 18.90 | 16.98 |
| Senegal | 1,973.3 | 15.19 | 9.26 | 14.81 |
| Hong Kong | 1,912.1 | 13.52 | 46.95 | — |
| France | 1,802.3 | 15.85 | 15.87 | 0.01 |
| Mongolia | 1,691.4 | 14.61 | 11.94 | 14.61 |
| Liberia | 1,641.5 | 12.57 | 12.34 | 12.57 |
| Suriname | 1,299.7 | 10.41 | 13.84 | 10.41 |
| Singapore | 1,278.4 | 9.86 | 20.91 | 0.13 |
| Belgium | 1,252.0 | 8.93 | 4.44 | — |
| Mexico | 1,226.1 | 22.57 | 25.07 | 14.28 |
| Saudi Arabia | 1,203.4 | 9.76 | 13.21 | 9.72 |
| Mauritania | 1,125.5 | 8.58 | 8.41 | 8.41 |
| Tanzania | 936.6 | 8.52 | 5.75 | 0.85 |
| Philippines | 927.5 | 13.23 | 16.70 | 13.23 |
| Ecuador | 873.1 | 8.91 | 8.52 | 8.62 |
| Lebanon | 832.1 | 6.03 | 5.91 | — |
| Guinea | 601.4 | 4.67 | 0.00 | 4.67 |
| Nicaragua | 583.4 | 29.64 | 21.16 | 25.47 |
| Malaysia | 577.3 | 4.39 | 3.46 | 0.74 |
| Azerbaijan | 411.8 | 6.54 | 7.88 | 5.42 |
| Norway | 407.0 | 2.83 | 2.67 | — |
| Dominican Republic | 398.5 | 10.28 | 11.21 | 10.28 |
| Laos | 395.3 | 12.98 | 15.78 | 12.98 |
| Tajikistan | 389.0 | 3.01 | 3.51 | — |
| South Korea | 364.6 | 2.58 | 0.52 | — |
| Jordan | 361.5 | 2.94 | 1.01 | — |
| Nigeria | 344.5 | 3.52 | 4.41 | 3.52 |
| Indonesia | 311.8 | 2.32 | 10.00 | — |
| Sweden | 281.3 | 2.17 | 8.44 | 1.23 |
| Cayman Islands | 270.1 | 2.00 | 0.00 | — |
| Colombia | 245.5 | 2.54 | 3.72 | 2.12 |
| Poland | 243.6 | 1.68 | 1.09 | — |
| Austria | 211.7 | 1.52 | 2.93 | — |
| Spain | 187.3 | 2.03 | 8.82 | 0.95 |
| Georgia | 105.1 | 1.01 | 2.15 | 0.83 |
| India | 102.6 | 0.83 | 2.81 | — |
| Honduras | 101.6 | 0.90 | 0.42 | 0.90 |
| Luxembourg | 72.8 | 0.56 | 0.57 | — |
| Romania | 64.5 | 0.84 | 0.98 | — |
| Uzbekistan | 62.1 | 0.47 | 49.24 | — |
| Greenland | 58.6 | 0.47 | 0.13 | 0.47 |
| Taiwan | 51.6 | 0.36 | 0.06 | — |
| Panama | 46.2 | 0.53 | 0.57 | — |
| Iceland | 25.1 | 0.21 | 0.00 | 0.15 |
| Czechia | 17.3 | 0.13 | 0.22 | — |
| Estonia | 7.2 | 0.06 | 0.17 | — |
| Netherlands | 6.5 | 0.05 | 0.05 | — |
| Morocco | 5.6 | 0.04 | 0.11 | — |
| Latvia | 4.3 | 0.05 | 0.11 | — |
| French Guiana | 3.4 | 0.03 | 0.00 | 0.03 |
| Uruguay | 3.3 | 0.02 | 0.00 | — |
| Denmark | 2.0 | 0.02 | 0.05 | — |
| Ireland | 1.5 | 0.16 | 0.01 | — |
| Slovenia | 1.0 | 0.01 | 0.00 | — |
| Slovakia | 0.7 | 0.01 | 0.00 | — |
| Portugal | 0.1 | 0.00 | 0.00 | — |
| Mali | 0.0 | 0.00 | 0.83 | — |
| Russia | 0.0 | 0.00 | 13.29 | — |
| Kazakhstan | 0.0 | 0.00 | 22.48 | — |
| Zimbabwe | 0.0 | 0.00 | 0.06 | — |
| Greece | 0.0 | 0.00 | 0.02 | — |
| Mozambique | 0.0 | 0.00 | 0.15 | — |
| Bulgaria | 0.0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | — |
Mined Gold: Which Mines Supply Swiss Refiners
Imports under control code 911 (gold from mines, mostly doré bars), Oct 2025–Sep 2026.
| Country | Value ($bn) | Share of mined-gold value | Tonnes (gross) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghana | 6.06 | 12.2% | 49.4 |
| Burkina Faso | 6.05 | 12.1% | 50.7 |
| Côte d'Ivoire | 5.38 | 10.8% | 50.9 |
| Canada | 3.40 | 6.8% | 38.2 |
| Peru | 3.06 | 6.1% | 60.8 |
| Argentina | 2.58 | 5.2% | 145.1 |
| Brazil | 2.14 | 4.3% | 21.1 |
| Chile | 2.02 | 4.0% | 181.5 |
| Egypt | 2.01 | 4.0% | 17.0 |
| Senegal | 1.93 | 3.9% | 14.8 |
| Mongolia | 1.69 | 3.4% | 14.6 |
| Liberia | 1.64 | 3.3% | 12.6 |
Swiss Gold Imports by Year
Tonnes by type and total value. Figures for 2026 are provisional and may be revised until FOCBS closes the 2026 statistics in June 2027.
| Year | Total (t) | CHF bn | USD bn |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 to Sep prov. | 1,693 | 147.6 | 183.7 |
| 2025 | 2,596 | 173.7 | 207.3 |
| 2024 | 2,139 | 92.9 | 104.6 |
| 2023 | 2,372 | 91.2 | 101.2 |
| 2022 | 2,395 | 93.8 | 98.3 |
| 2021 | 2,215 | 84.2 | 91.9 |
Top Sources Year by Year
Tonnes imported from the 20 largest sources of 2025.
| Country | 2026* | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 235.1 | 459.8 | 183.9 | 252.1 | 382.3 | 172.5 |
| United Arab Emirates | 399.6 | 420.3 | 155.8 | 151.8 | 140.4 | 125.5 |
| Chile | 127.9 | 199.5 | 186.6 | 163.4 | 126.5 | 131.6 |
| Australia | 44.9 | 151.7 | 159.9 | 197.6 | 127.7 | 62.2 |
| Argentina | 117.1 | 147.6 | 159.8 | 183.2 | 149.1 | 136.2 |
| Peru | 71.1 | 143.0 | 169.4 | 164.7 | 201.3 | 174.7 |
| Canada | 49.6 | 95.9 | 108.9 | 103.4 | 134.6 | 54.1 |
| Germany | 63.2 | 81.5 | 86.7 | 55.9 | 39.9 | 34.7 |
| Italy | 92.0 | 62.9 | 24.4 | 22.1 | 23.1 | 39.6 |
| United Kingdom | 11.9 | 62.6 | 53.7 | 41.8 | 48.5 | 534.4 |
| Côte d'Ivoire | 38.8 | 54.5 | 50.4 | 41.6 | 34.7 | 24.9 |
| South Africa | 16.7 | 51.1 | 37.3 | 59.5 | 97.3 | 63.3 |
| Thailand | 24.6 | 49.4 | 27.9 | 41.5 | 39.8 | 10.8 |
| Ghana | 38.6 | 48.4 | 62.1 | 62.2 | 65.1 | 46.1 |
| Uzbekistan | 0.5 | 46.8 | 86.7 | 130.1 | 74.9 | 40.0 |
| Burkina Faso | 38.6 | 44.1 | 49.6 | 56.6 | 61.5 | 67.9 |
| Japan | 21.1 | 38.3 | 26.6 | 35.1 | 22.5 | 13.3 |
| Hong Kong | 10.1 | 35.7 | 49.9 | 37.2 | 41.7 | 43.9 |
| Mexico | 16.7 | 23.9 | 48.7 | 52.2 | 52.7 | 45.5 |
| China | 13.9 | 23.8 | 5.6 | 2.2 | 2.9 | 0.4 |
What the categories mean
- Mined gold (control code 911): gold from mines (mostly doré bars) for refining. FOCBS wording: "mined gold (according to the Explanatory notes)".
- Refined gold, for refining or processing (control code 912): at least 99.5% gold, to be refined again or processed (for example recast into other bar sizes). FOCBS wording: "at least 99.5% of gold, for refining or other processing".
- Refined gold, other uses (control code 913): at least 99.5% gold, for other uses (for example trading or storage). FOCBS wording: "at least 99.5% of gold, for other uses".
- Gold below 99.5% (control code 914): gold of less than 99.5% purity, such as scrap and old jewellery. FOCBS wording: "less than 99.5% of gold".
All four are imports of unwrought, non-monetary gold under customs tariff number 7108.1200 ("gold, incl. gold plated with platinum, in unwrought forms, for non-monetary purposes"). Gold coins, semi-manufactured gold and monetary gold (central-bank transfers) are not included. The country is the country of origin recorded by Swiss customs. Quantities are gross weights in kilograms as declared, not fine-gold content.
Swiss Gold Imports: FAQ
Where does Switzerland import its gold from?
By value, the largest sources of Swiss gold imports in the 12 months to September 2026 were United Arab Emirates ($72.1 billion, 29%), United States ($55.0 billion, 22%), Italy ($16.6 billion, 7%), Germany ($9.1 billion, 4%), Canada ($8.7 billion, 4%). These are imports of unwrought gold (customs tariff 7108.1200) as recorded by the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security; the shares are our calculation. By weight the list looks different, because mine output from countries such as Chile, Argentina and Peru arrives as doré that also contains silver and other metals.
How much gold does Switzerland import?
About 2,324 tonnes in the 12 months to September 2026, worth about $248.0 billion. In 2025 imports were 2,596 tonnes (CHF 173.7 billion, $207.3 billion).
Which countries send mined gold to Switzerland?
By value, mined gold (FOCBS control code 911, mostly doré bars from mines) came mainly from Ghana ($6.1bn), Burkina Faso ($6.0bn), Côte d'Ivoire ($5.4bn), Canada ($3.4bn), Peru ($3.1bn), Argentina ($2.6bn) in the 12 months to September 2026. In total $49.9 billion, 20% of the value of all gold imports in that period (817 tonnes gross weight).
Why does so much gold go to Switzerland?
Several of the world's largest gold refineries are in Switzerland. Much of the gold that arrives is mine output to be refined, or large bars from trading centres such as London and New York to be recast into the smaller bars and kilobars that buyers in Asia and the Middle East prefer; a large part leaves again as exports. The country breakdown on this page covers imports only.
Are the tonnes pure gold?
No. Customs records the gross weight of what is imported. Refined bars are almost pure gold, but mine doré and scrap can contain a lot of silver, copper and other metals, so for mined gold the value is a better guide to the gold content than the weight. That is why this page ranks countries by value.
Are these figures final?
Figures for 2026 are provisional and may be revised until FOCBS closes the 2026 statistics in June 2027. Earlier years are definitive. The page updates automatically when FOCBS publishes new data, usually once a month.
Source: Federal Office for Customs and Border Security FOCBS — Goods: Foreign trade – Gold imports by country (monthly, from January 2021; data file updated 13 October 2026). Used with permission. The published figures (kilograms, CHF and USD values) are shown unaltered, converted only from kilograms to tonnes. Totals across categories, yearly and 12-month sums, shares and percentage changes are Corgano's own calculations based on the FOCBS monthly figures. Figures for 2026 are provisional and may be revised until FOCBS closes the 2026 statistics in June 2027.
See also: China's gold reserves by month · gold price in Switzerland · gold price history · gold price forecasts.
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@misc{corgano2026swissgoldimportsby, author = {{Corgano}}, title = {Swiss Gold Imports by Country}, howpublished = {\url{https://goldprice.corgano.com/swiss-gold-imports}}, year = {2026}, note = {Corgano Gold Price, accessed 2026-10-26}}