This makes gold a significant component of household balance sheets. Gold accounted for 24.2% of total household assets in March 2026, up from 15.4% in March 2023, according to the report. Over the same period, the share of bank deposits fell from 14.1% to 11.2%.
The wealth gain can influence the economy through a second channel: gold-backed borrowing. Traditionally a largely dormant household asset, gold is increasingly being pledged for loans as prices rise. Organised gold-loan assets under management climbed from US$86 billion in March 2023 to US$197 billion in March 2026, representing a 32% CAGR.
At present, Spot gold was trading around $4,414 on September 7, down about 0.35% on the day, after closing the previous week 0.55% lower at $4,430. Markets are now likely to focus on upcoming US inflation data, particularly the CPI reading on September 11, for clues on the Federal Reserve’s rate path.
Gold loans
Yet the lending opportunity remains relatively small compared with the underlying gold stock. Gold loans represented only around 5.1% of household gold value in March 2026. Jefferies estimates that only around 10% of household gold is monetised when a 50% loan-to-value ratio is assumed.
This leaves room for higher gold prices to translate into greater borrowing capacity. Jefferies estimates that a 10% increase in gold prices would generate roughly US$400 billion in household wealth and US$20-25 billion in additional gold loans. Combined, the brokerage estimates this could create an 80-100 bps tailwind to GDP and spending.
The impact could be particularly visible in consumption because gold ownership is widespread among rural and lower-income households. Jefferies says the wealth effect could therefore provide a buffer against weak monsoons and support consumption at the bottom of the income pyramid.
Macroeconomic cost
However, the boost comes with a macroeconomic cost. Higher gold prices can increase India’s import bill and put pressure on the current account. Gold imports, including jewellery, rose from US$36 billion in FY23 to US$79 billion in FY26, a 30% CAGR.
The report also sees further headroom for gold-backed lending over the next two years. A reversion in gold loans as a share of household gold holdings could result in an US$15-20 billion annual increase in gold loans, equivalent to an 8-10 percentage-point rise in the monetisation rate. Jefferies estimates the FY26 increase in gold-loan AUM alone corresponded to about 130 bps of GDP.
