Analysis of the Impact of the 2025 Youth Gold Investment Boom on the Traditional Gold Market Structure

The 2025 youth gold investment boom has had a significant impact on both global and Chinese markets. From the demand side, young people’s positioning of gold has shifted from a tool for showing off wealth in the past to a safe-haven asset, reflecting concerns about economic and geopolitical uncertainties—this aligns with the World Gold Council’s conclusion that the appeal of gold’s safe-haven properties is rising [0]. From the sales channel perspective, although specific data on young people’s gold investments on platforms like Alipay is limited, gold ETFs as digital investment tools recorded an inflow of 397 tons in the first half of 2025 (the highest since 2020) [0], indicating that simplified digital investment methods are favored by young groups. In terms of product design, young Chinese consumers have promoted the development of gold jewelry towards lightweight designs that combine sense of design with cultural symbolism, to meet the needs of both aesthetics and asset allocation [3].

1. Reshaping the Demand Structure of the Traditional Gold Market
   : Young people’s emphasis on gold’s safe-haven properties has expanded the proportion of investment demand for gold, rather than being limited to traditional consumer demand, driving the market from a single jewelry consumption direction to a combination of diversified investment and consumption.
2. Digital Channels Become New Growth Points
   : Although specific platform data is insufficient, the significant inflow of gold ETFs and the high mobile payment usage rate among young groups (the 16-24 age group in the UK had a mobile payment usage rate of 78% in 2024 [2]) indicate that digital investment channels will become an important development direction for the gold market in the future, and traditional offline channels need to accelerate transformation.
3. Rise of Chinese Local Brands
   : The demand of young people for lightweight and design-oriented gold products has driven the rapid growth of Chinese local brands such as Laopu Gold. Its revenue in the first half of 2025 exceeded 12 billion yuan, and its stock price has risen by 2300% since its listing [1], reflecting that traditional gold brands need to adapt to the needs of new consumer groups through product innovation.

• Risks
  : Gold prices rose sharply in 2025 (GLD ETF increased by 69.37% [0]), and continuous price surges may cause some young investors to adopt a wait-and-see attitude [3]. In addition, if traditional offline gold dealers fail to adapt to the trends of digital transformation and product innovation in time, they may face loss of market share.
• Opportunities
  : The new demand for gold from young groups provides gold enterprises with opportunities for product innovation and channel expansion. Digital investment platforms can further simplify the gold investment process to meet the convenience needs of young investors. At the same time, gold products that combine cultural symbolism with modern design have broad market potential.

The 2025 youth gold investment boom is an important driving factor for changes in the global gold market structure. This trend has not only changed the demand structure and consumption preferences of gold but also promoted the digital transformation of sales channels and innovation in product design. The Chinese gold market has been particularly active in this trend, with local brands achieving significant growth through product innovation. Although the continuous rise in gold prices brings certain risks, the overall market still contains opportunities, and market participants need to adjust their strategies according to the changing needs of young groups.