Gold is the foundation of economic power in Civilization 7, allowing you to rapidly develop your empire, maintain an army, and outpace your rivals. As with any game involving resource accumulation, particularly gold, it's essential to know how to earn it. In this article, we'll discuss the best ways to acquire gold in Civilization 7.

Utilizing Leaders and Civilizations for Maximum Profit

Your choice of leader and civilization lays the groundwork for your gold income. Some leaders have unique abilities that directly boost gold generation. For example, Amina provides additional gold for each imported resource, making trade a key strategy.

Isabella rewards exploration, granting gold for discovering natural wonders, while Xerxes ensures a steady increase in gold income and a significant bonus when capturing settlements.

Choosing the right civilization that complements your leader is also crucial. Aksum is a strong early-game choice, as it receives bonus gold from all resources, while Qin in the Modern Era benefits from increased income from imported resources.

Expansion and Effective Settlement Management

Every new settlement you establish is a potential source of additional gold. Cities generate gold passively, converting their production into wealth. Keeping settlements in the "Growing City" status until reaching a population of seven maximizes profit before they transition into cities. When expanding, prioritize locations with rich gold resources or bonuses from coasts and rivers.

Building Key Economic Structures

Buildings play a vital role in gold generation. Each era introduces new structures that enhance the economy. Markets, lighthouses, and ancient bridges are among the first buildings to provide steady income.

As your civilization progresses, guilds, banks, stock exchanges, and railway stations become crucial for increasing profit. Placing these structures near coasts, navigable rivers, and world wonders further boosts their effectiveness.

Utilizing Trade Routes and Treasure Fleets

Trade is one of the most stable ways to acquire gold. Establishing trade routes with civilizations that have resources you lack allows for valuable imports, strengthening the economy and improving diplomatic relations.

Some traders, like Ming Mandarin, even provide direct monetary rewards when establishing trade routes. During the Age of Exploration, treasure fleets become another profitable source of income.

If you possess silver resources, you can generate a treasure fleet every ten turns. Each ship reaching a native coastal settlement brings 150 gold, with this income increasing as the number of fleets grows.

Optimal Resource Allocation

Resources play a key role in ensuring a steady flow of gold. Gold, silver, and jade, when placed in settlements, provide passive income. Jade is particularly valuable, increasing gold generation by 15% in Antiquity and the Age of Exploration.

Silver and gold also reduce the cost of purchasing buildings and military units, making them extremely advantageous. Discovering mines, strategic trading, and properly placing these resources in settlements with the appropriate infrastructure will significantly boost your income.

Choosing Economic Governance Style and Social Policies

The form of governance impacts economic development. At the start of each new era, you can choose a governance style that prioritizes gold generation. Economic governments sacrifice other benefits, such as science or culture, in favor of increased income.

Additionally, every twenty turns, you can make political decisions that shape your civilization's economic policy. Always choose options that increase gold revenue to ensure a steady wealth increase.

Social policies are another way to improve your finances. For example, the "Priesthood" policy provides equal gold increases in all settlements, while "Trade Winds" offer additional gold and happiness for each imported resource. In later eras, consider "Vassalage" and "Charters", which significantly boost gold income, especially if you are the suzerain of city-states.

Investing in Leader's Economic Attributes

Leader attributes can provide long-term economic benefits. Investing points in the economic attributes tree unlocks opportunities for additional gold from active trade routes, bonus gold from imported resources, and discounts on purchases.

Economic attributes are unlocked through the economic legacy path, acquiring world wonders that provide attributes, or special events. Some leaders, such as Ibn Battuta, can unlock these opportunities faster, making them an ideal choice for a gold-oriented strategy.

Managing Army and Maintenance Costs

Gold is not just about accumulation but also about smart spending. Every unit and building has a maintenance cost that can quickly deplete your treasury. A large army can be expensive, so it's important to maintain only the necessary number of troops for a positive balance. If preparing for war, swift and decisive combat will prevent financial drain.

Constructing Wonders that Generate Gold

World wonders provide unique economic bonuses. The Great Stele gives a one-time gold bonus when constructing wonders in that settlement. Machu Picchu increases income from surrounding buildings, and Doi Suthep boosts gold income from city-states that are your vassals.