Aluminum Price in 1979

In 1979, the price of aluminum averaged $1,603 per tonne, up 21.0% from the year before. This page covers the 1979 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that aluminum would be worth in today's dollars.

1979 Average

$1,603

LME annual average, USD/tonne

Change vs 1978

+21.0%

from $1,325 in 1978

What happened to the aluminum price in 1979

Aluminum averaged $1,603 per tonne in 1979, climbing 21.0% from the $1,325 average of 1978. The notable development of 1979: First full year with LME cash quote available.

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 1979 average of $1,603 equals about $7,116 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 1979?

Aluminum averaged $1,603 per tonne in 1979, based on World Bank and LME annual average data. That average was up 21.0% from $1,325 in 1978.

What is a 1979 aluminum price worth in today's dollars?

Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, aluminum's 1979 average of $1,603 works out to roughly $7,116 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 1979?

The defining story of 1979: First full year with LME cash quote available. Against that backdrop, the annual average climbed 21.0%, from $1,325 in 1978 to $1,603.

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.