Gold holdings at Deutsche Börse Commodities reached record levels at the end of last year, as the flight from riskier assets continued to boost the price and interest in the precious metal.

The value of gold held in its central vaults rose 32% to a record high of €2.1bn in 2011 as demand for the Xetra-Gold Exchange Traded Commodity soared amid the market turbulence stemming from the eurozone crisis.