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Gold, in India, is considered one of the symbols of wealth and prosperity. It is deeply rooted in India’s culture and tradition and holds crucial importance for women. Be it any small traditional function or marriage, gold remains essential for Indians. As women adorn this precious metal on a daily basis and often purchase it, their holding has increased. This has been further increased by a tradition of passing over the yellow metal to the next generation leading to add-ons. Accordingly, the amount of gold held by Indian women is the highest in the world. According to a World Gold Council report, Indian women hold 24,000 tons of cumulative gold.
It is interesting to know that the amount is far more than the gold held by any country. As per the reports, Indian women’s holding accounts for 11 per cent of total gold in the world. It surpasses the combined gold holding of the top 5 countries in the world. The top 5 countries with the highest gold holding include, the United States holds 8,000 tons of gold, Germany 3,300 tons, Italy 2,450 tons, France 2,400 tons, and Russia 1,900 tons.
The report further states that women in the southern part of India hold 40 per cent of India’s gold, and Tamil Nadu alone holds 28 per cent. His holding is increasing with each passing year. In 2020-21, women in India held 21,000 tons worth of gold.
It must be noted that Indian laws permit married women to hold up to 500 grams of gold without paying any taxes. For unmarried women, this limit is 250 grams. However, men can hold only 100 grams of gold.
