Poll Shows Many in US Believe Gold Assets Safest Investment in Long Run

Gallup polls are a long time media favorite and this time, for the second year running, when asked what the best long term investment option would be from a selection of choices, Americans chose gold assets by a substantial margin.

The next most popular asset class, according to the results reported by The Atlantic, was real estate. Still this was only chosen by 20 percent of respondents as opposed to the 28 percent who selected gold. Stocks and mutual funds were the choice of 19 percent of respondents while 14 percent chose savings accounts or CDs and only eight percent said they believed bonds to be safest over the long haul.

Last year, investment gold was also the top choice in Gallup's 2011 poll asking the same question. Gold was shown to appeal more to men than women and to adults over the age of 34 than those younger.

A reporter from The Atlantic observed that one possible reason for the public's view of gold assets as being a solid long term investment choice is the recent economic chaos the nation has been going through. Paper assets and real estate would look less appealing, noted Gallup of their findings, due to instability that was clearly shown both in the stock market and by the foreclosure crisis that rocked the U.S. Investment gold has a historic tendency to become more popular during times of economic distress and this has helped it remain a stable choice for many.

Gallup went on to say, "Meanwhile, the rising trajectory of the price of gold over the past several years apparently offers more of the returns and stability investors seek."

The demand for gold is also rising in Asia and the Middle East. This is largely due to the fact that these developing societies are experiencing a blossoming of the investor class.

In fact, East Asia, India and the Middle East make up about two-thirds of the consumer market for gold, according to the World Gold Council. India and China are two good examples of this, with demands for gold growing dramatically since 2009. As part of the new economic hub known as BRIC - Brazil, Russia, India and China - these two nations are believed to be on their way to whole new levels of wealth and prosperity in the near future.