Aluminum Price in 1973
In 1973, the price of aluminum averaged $599 per tonne, up 1.5% from the year before. This page covers the 1973 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that aluminum would be worth in today's dollars.
1973 Average
$599
LME annual average, USD/tonne
Change vs 1972
+1.5%
from $590 in 1972
What happened to the aluminum price in 1973
Aluminum averaged $599 per tonne in 1973, essentially unchanged from $590 in 1972.
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 1973 average of $599 equals about $4,348 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 1973?
What is a 1973 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.