World Gold Council: Gold's annualized return around 5%, long-term trend supported by wealth storage demand

On September 7, according to Jinshi reports, the World Gold Council recently joined forces with Caibai Jewelry, Chow Tai Fook, Chow Tai Seng, Laofengxiang and 12 other retail brands to release the "2026 China Gold Jewelry Retail Trends Insight" on-site, and answered questions on the evolution of hard gold categories and the structural shift in gold jewelry consumption. Wang Lixin, CEO of the World Gold Council China, told the media: "Hard gold is still the 'sun at eight or nine o'clock in the morning'—its future is assured, and the room for growth remains huge." This statement is particularly noteworthy in an industry undergoing drastic structural adjustment. China's gold jewelry market is experiencing a typical trend of "rising prices with falling volumes." Association data shows that in the first half of 2026, gold jewelry consumption volume fell 30% year-on-year to 136 tonnes, while total consumption value rose 5% to 143.7 billion yuan. Store networks continue to consolidate, while demand for self-purchasing and personal enjoyment has risen for three consecutive years, shifting consumption from "special occasions" to "everyday moments."