Aluminum Price in 1978

In 1978, the price of aluminum averaged $1,325 per tonne, up 15.8% from the year before. This page covers the 1978 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that aluminum would be worth in today's dollars.

1978 Average

$1,325

LME annual average, USD/tonne

Change vs 1977

+15.8%

from $1,144 in 1977

What happened to the aluminum price in 1978

Aluminum averaged $1,325 per tonne in 1978, climbing 15.8% from the $1,144 average of 1977. The notable development of 1978: LME aluminium high-grade primary contract launched Oct 1978; annual figure still largely producer-price based.

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 1978 average of $1,325 equals about $6,550 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 1978?

Aluminum averaged $1,325 per tonne in 1978, based on World Bank and LME annual average data. That average was up 15.8% from $1,144 in 1977.

What is a 1978 aluminum price worth in today's dollars?

Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, aluminum's 1978 average of $1,325 works out to roughly $6,550 in today's dollars, using 2025 as the CPI base year. The conversion uses BLS CPI-U annual averages, so treat it as a close approximation rather than an exact figure.

What moved the aluminum price in 1978?

The defining story of 1978: LME aluminium high-grade primary contract launched Oct 1978; annual figure still largely producer-price based. Against that backdrop, the annual average climbed 15.8%, from $1,144 in 1977 to $1,325.

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.