For first time, more central banks are set to shrink dollar holdings, survey finds

A survey of global central bank reserve managers has found, for the first time on record, that a majority intend to reduce their allocation to U.S. dollar holdings over the coming year. This marks a notable inflection in reserve diversification trends that have been building gradually since the 2022 freezing of Russian sovereign assets accelerated doubts about the dollar's role as a risk-free reserve currency.

The shift matters because central bank reserve demand has historically been one of the most stable sources of structural dollar buying. If that floor starts to erode — even slowly — it removes a persistent bid under the greenback that markets have long taken for granted. The assets most directly in play are DXY (dollar index), gold (which central banks have been accumulating as an alternative reserve asset), and currencies like the euro and renminbi that stand to absorb reallocated flows.

The bull case for continued dollar strength rests on the absence of a credible alternative reserve system: the euro zone lacks a unified safe asset, and the yuan remains capital-controlled. Dollar liquidity depth is unmatched, and short-term rate differentials can still attract flows regardless of long-run reserve intent.

The bear case is that this survey captures a structural, slow-moving regime shift — not a tactical trade. If even 1-2% of global FX reserves migrate away from dollars over the next several years, the cumulative selling pressure is substantial. The trend also risks becoming self-reinforcing if U.S. fiscal and geopolitical risks remain elevated.

The key things to watch: subsequent IMF COFER data releases for actual reserve composition shifts, gold central bank purchase data from the World Gold Council, and any further use of dollar weaponization in sanctions policy that could accelerate the trend.