Gold may glitter in jewellery shops, but its real story is inside Indian city homes.
A good concentration of households in urban India own the highest proportion of gold jewellery or bullion (precious metals), as per data from from the All India Debt and Investment Survey, ministry of statistics and programme implementation.
All photographs: Kind courtesy Canva
1. Tamil Nadu: 91.4 Per Cent
Tamil Nadu records the highest share in this list, with 91.4 per cent of urban households owning gold jewellery or bullion.
Gold has a deep-rooted place in the state’s cultural traditions, particularly with respect to weddings and other auspicious occasions.
2. Jammu And Kashmir: 90.1 Per Cent
Gold ownership extends to 90.1 per cent of urban households in Jammu & Kashmir.
3. Karnataka: 86.8 Per Cent
In Karnataka 86.8 per cent ownership exists among its urban households.
4. Chandigarh: 86.6 Per Cent
In this small but prosperous Union Territory, 86.6 per cent of urban households are listed as owning gold jewellery or bullion, placing it among the regions with particularly widespread household ownership of the precious metal.
5. Kerala: 86.4 Per Cent
Following closely at 86.4 per cent is Kerala. Gold is key to wedding purchases and vital to family savings, contributing to sustained demand.
6. Uttar Pradesh: 85.6 Per Cent
Gold ownership stands at 85.6 per cent of UP’s urban households.
Jewellery serves not only a ceremonial purpose but also represents a form of household wealth that is passed between generations.
7. Tripura: 85.1 Per Cent
Tripura’s share stands at 85.1 per cent, indicating that gold jewellery or bullion is present in a large majority of the urban households in this tiny Northeastern state.
8. Maharashtra: 73 Per Cent
At eighth place is Maharashtra registering 73 per cent urban households owning gold jewellery or bullion.
