“The world’s central banks last year bought 534.6 tons of gold in 2012, the most since 1964, as global gold demand hit a record value level, the World Gold Council said Thursday in a quarterly report. Purchases by central banks for the full year rose 17% compared with 2011, while fourth-quarter purchases of 145 tons marked a 29% rise from the same period a year earlier. In value terms, total gold demand in 2012 was $236.4 billion, an all-time high, the council said”
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/central-banks-last-year-bought-most-gold-since-64-2013-02-14