Aluminum Price in 1972
In 1972, the price of aluminum averaged $590 per tonne, down 6.1% from the year before. This page covers the 1972 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that aluminum would be worth in today's dollars.
1972 Average
$590
LME annual average, USD/tonne
Change vs 1971
-6.1%
from $628 in 1971
What happened to the aluminum price in 1972
Aluminum averaged $590 per tonne in 1972, down 6.1% from $628 the year before.
Aluminum began the 1970s as a low-priced, producer-set metal and rose through the decade's oil-shock inflation from around $600 to $1,600 per tonne, as the LME launched its aluminium contract in 1978.
Adjusted for inflation, aluminum's 1972 average of $590 equals about $4,549 in today's dollars. The conversion uses US Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U annual averages, so treat it as a close approximation rather than an exact figure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the price of aluminum in 1972?
What is a 1972 aluminum price worth in today's dollars?
Annual averages are World Bank and LME aluminum prices per tonne in US dollars (LME cash and settlement basis). Values before the LME aluminium contract launched in October 1978 are producer and list-price proxies, and the 2025 figure is preliminary. Where daily data exists, the per-year high, low, and close come from MetalCharts historical data. Inflation adjustments use BLS CPI-U annual averages.