"Gold is the top asset class among young people"

In a world marked by uncertainty, ranging from military conflicts to AI hype, the latest investment barometer from Deutsche Börse Commodities shows a clear trend: young investors are finding security in gold. For 25- to 34-year-olds, the precious metal has become the most popular asset class.
 

15 December 2025. FRANKFURT (Xetra-Gold). Military conflicts, US tariff policy, and the hype surrounding artificial intelligence are causing concern among people in Germany: two-thirds (67 percent) feel uncertain in the current environment and are worried about their assets.
At the same time, confidence in gold is growing, especially among younger people: according to the representative study “Investment Barometer 2025”* by Deutsche Börse Commodities GmbH, gold is the most popular asset class for 25- to 34-year-olds. More than half of this age group (53 percent) can currently imagine investing in gold. Overall, the precious metal plays a role in long-term investments for many people in Germany, such as retirement provision (29 percent), crisis and inflation protection (26 percent), and wealth accumulation (15 percent).

Gold moves into the top 3 investments

Only just under a third (31 percent) of Germans are not very concerned or not at all concerned about their own assets. Accordingly, secure investments that hold their value are gaining in importance: for the first time since 2022, gold is once again among the three most popular investments. When asked “How would you invest €25,000?”, more than one in four (27 percent) answered with gold – almost as often as in call money/savings accounts (31 percent) or funds/ETFs (28 percent) and more often than in traditional fixed-term deposits (26 percent). Real estate (16 percent) and stocks (15 percent) are losing relevance, while bonds (7 percent) and cryptocurrencies (6 percent) play only a minor role. When asked about the most trustworthy investment, overnight money and savings accounts are in the lead with 21 percent, followed by gold and funds/ETFs (14 percent each).

Young people in Germany trust gold

Among 25- to 34-year-olds, gold would even be the preferred investment: more than a third (35 percent) would choose this form of investment with a capital of €25,000. Gold also ranks first in terms of trust (18 percent) – ahead of instant access accounts/savings accounts (14 percent), fixed-term deposits, real estate, and funds/ETFs (13 percent each). When it comes to long-term investments, the younger generation is leading the way: For almost half of 25- to 29-year-olds (48 percent), gold is relevant for retirement planning, significantly more than the overall average (29 percent). One in five in this age group (21 percent) also cites sustainability/ESG criteria as an argument for long-term gold investments, compared to only 8 percent of all respondents.

Stability and security in the investment portfolio

“The investment barometer shows that a consistent majority of Germans perceive the situation on the financial markets as uncertain,” says Steffen Orben, Managing Director of Deutsche Börse Commodities GmbH. “At the same time, the representative mood indicates a growing interest in gold, whose value has risen by more than 50 percent so far in 2025. Young people in particular are placing increasing trust in gold, as it is one of the most stable asset classes and its price has been developing positively for years. Studies recommend a gold allocation of five to ten percent in portfolios to secure assets.”
Almost half (45 percent) of Germans can currently imagine investing in gold in general. For medium- to long-term investors, bearer bonds such as Xetra-Gold® offer a simple alternative to physical purchase. As a security, Xetra-Gold enables cost-efficient entry and trading and allows tax-free profits if held for more than one year. Each security corresponds exactly to one gram of gold in euros and is backed 1:1 by physical gold. It can also be delivered if required.