Gold rush gathers pace as UK searches for precious metals surge amid market uncertainty - London Business News

AI desk brief

UK search interest in gold and other precious metals has surged, with “buy gold” queries reportedly doubling over the past year as geopolitical conflict and economic uncertainty drive hedging demand. London led the UK with 1,923 precious-metals-related searches per 100,000 people, followed by Leeds at 1,745 and Edinburgh at more than 1,600 per 100,000.

The article frames the rise as a sign that households are increasingly viewing bullion as a store of value amid inflation and currency-weakness concerns. It also notes that gold and silver reached record highs in 2025 and into early 2026, but cautions that search interest does not necessarily translate directly into physical purchases.