Gold is one of the most valued commodities in the world today. In addition to being valuable what sets it apart from the rest of the commodities is that if you track things like gold rate today ujjain you will notice that it rarely loses value hence it is consistent. It has been used as money in many different time periods and settings. It has been a symbol of wealth and power for centuries. Gold coins were popular in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. In fact, gold has always been a highly sought-after commodity.
Gold is not used as the primary currency in the world economy however, so what is its role?
Gold and currencies are co-related. The value of a country’s currency is linked to the price of gold in some ways, so we will look at how gold affects currencies and why it is important that we understand this relationship. Knowing this will help you understand why governments around the world have been trying to build up their gold reserves over the years.
- Gold Imports can Weaken Currency Value
The currency of a country is hugely affected by the amount of gold that country imports and also exports. A country with large gold imports, exports a lot of money. This increases the supply of that nation’s currency in the foreign exchange markets and pushes down its value. For example, India is one of the largest importers of gold. The country spends around $40 billion per year on gold imports. Such a large figure causes a constant drain on the country’s foreign exchange reserves, which has weakened the rupee over time.
- Gold Exports can Strengthen Currency Value
Alternatively, if a nation exports gold and does not import it, this process can strengthen its currency value. Switzerland is one of the largest exporters of gold in the world. The country exported around 1,000 tons of gold in 2011 alone (Source: Swiss National Bank). This reduces demand for Swiss francs in the foreign exchange market and strengthens its value, since less money flows into Switzerland to buy their products.
- Gold can Lead to Inflation
As established earlier, the gold import is adversely affecting the economy of India. A major portion of the funds are used to import gold which can be used to build infrastructure and drive growth. The imports are funded by the forex reserves and since there is a huge demand for gold, the reserves are being depleted at an alarming rate. If this continues, then the country will not have sufficient foreign exchange reserves which will lead to a depreciation in value of Rupee against other currencies. This will increase inflation and ultimately lead to higher interest rates.
- Gold hedges inflation
Gold has historically retained its purchasing power over the long run, even during periods of high inflation. This is because gold is a tangible asset and its supply cannot be increased haphazardly. The cost of mining gold is high and it takes time to bring new mines into production. Hence, a higher rate of inflation does not immediately translate into higher prices for gold. As such, owning gold will protect an investor’s purchasing power in times of high inflation.
Hence, a country’s central bank can import gold to increase its foreign exchange reserves without impacting the value of its currency in the long run because of the inflation-hedging properties that gold possesses. So next time you hear the news of inflation or oncoming inflation you should definitely look up today 22 carat gold rate in berhampur odisha or Mumbai and if the price is affordable make the investment in order to keep your money valuable. See more.
- Gold Helps to Measure Fiat Currency’s Value
Gold does not always adversely impacts the value of fiat currency. In fact, gold can be used to determine the value of a fiat currency. Gold can help in controlling inflation or deflation in an economy by acting as a hedge.
When there is an increase in the rate of inflation in an economy, the demand for gold increases while the demand for fiat currency decreases. This is because gold retains its value even in times of inflation. On the other hand, when there is a constant rise in the value of a fiat currency, the demand for gold reduces and there is more demand for goods and services instead, which causes deflation.
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