Live Gold Price
Spot gold in USD per troy ounce · updating…
Understanding the live gold price
Gold is priced per troy ounce (about 31.1035 grams) in US dollars, written as XAU/USD. The number above is the live spot price — the price for immediate delivery, discovered continuously across global markets.
What moves the gold price?
Gold reacts to the strength of the US dollar, interest-rate expectations, inflation, geopolitical uncertainty, and physical supply and demand. Because it is priced in dollars, a weaker dollar often lifts the gold price and vice versa.
Spot vs. retail price
The spot price is a wholesale benchmark. When you buy a physical coin or bar you also pay a premium over spot that covers minting, distribution and dealer margin. Our silver price and unit converter pair well with this tool.
For general information only, not financial advice.
What drives the number
Gold has no earnings and pays no interest, so its price is set almost entirely by what investors are willing to hold it instead of. Four forces dominate.
- Real interest rates. When inflation-adjusted yields fall, the opportunity cost of holding a non-yielding asset falls with them, and gold tends to rise. Rising real yields do the opposite.
- The US dollar. Gold is quoted in dollars, so a weaker dollar mechanically lifts the price for dollar buyers and vice versa.
- Central-bank demand. Official-sector buying has been a major source of demand in recent years and is far less price-sensitive than jewellery or investment demand.
- Risk and uncertainty. Geopolitical stress, banking stress and inflation surprises all pull money towards assets with no counterparty.
Spot, futures and the price you pay
The spot price is for immediate delivery of one troy ounce of fine gold in the London over-the-counter market. Futures prices, quoted on COMEX, are for delivery on a future date and normally sit slightly above spot to cover storage and financing. Neither is the price of a coin in your hand: retail products carry a premium covering refining, minting, distribution, insurance and dealer margin.
| Product | Typical premium over spot |
|---|---|
| 400 oz good delivery bar | Under 1% |
| 1 kg bar | 1 – 2% |
| 1 oz bullion coin | 3 – 6% |
| Fractional coins (1/10 oz) | 8 – 15% |
| Numismatic / collectible | Varies widely; driven by rarity, not metal |
Indicative ranges. Premiums widen when retail demand spikes and narrow in quiet markets.
Converting the quote to what you own
Purity is quoted as karats or as fineness: 24 ct is 0.999+, 22 ct is 0.9167, 18 ct is 0.750 and 14 ct is 0.5833. Scrap buyers pay a percentage of that melt value, not the full amount.
Why quotes differ between sites
Different providers aggregate different venues and refresh on different schedules, so small discrepancies are normal — particularly around the 3 p.m. London auction, at the New York open, and in thin liquidity after the US close. For general reference any reputable feed is fine; for trading, use your broker’s own quote.
Reference only
Prices are indicative and delayed or approximate depending on the feed. Nothing here is investment advice or an offer to trade.
Gold price FAQ
What is the spot price of gold?
How often does the price update?
Why is a gold coin more expensive than the spot price?
What makes the gold price rise or fall?
How do I calculate the gold value of my jewellery?
Why do different websites show slightly different gold prices?
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