With economic and geopolitical instability showing little sign of retreat in 2026, momentum from last year’s strong gold demand was likely to persist this year, the London-based World Gold Council (WGC) said on Thursday. Advertisement“The rally in gold prices is also acting as a catalyst for further investment and is likely to attract more market participants,” he said. Spot gold has risen more than 20 per cent so far in January, while New York gold futures touched US$5,625.89 per ounce on Thursday . In 2025, spot prices jumped 65 per cent in US dollar terms, marking the sharpest annual gain since 1979. Advertisement“The current rally in gold prices is by no means accidental and is certainly driven by underlying factors,” said Roland Wang, regional CEO for China at the WGC.