Aluminum Price in 1982

In 1982, the price of aluminum averaged $992 per tonne, down 21.5% from the year before. This page covers the 1982 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that aluminum would be worth in today's dollars.

1982 Average

$992

LME annual average, USD/tonne

Change vs 1981

-21.5%

from $1,263 in 1981

What happened to the aluminum price in 1982

Aluminum averaged $992 per tonne in 1982, sliding 21.5% from the $1,263 average of 1981. The notable development of 1982: Global recession low.

A deep early-1980s recession pulled aluminum back below $1,000, before a late-decade supply squeeze from capacity closures and depleted inventories spiked it to a then-record near $2,550 in 1988.

Adjusted for inflation, aluminum's 1982 average of $992 equals about $3,313 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 1982?

Aluminum averaged $992 per tonne in 1982, based on World Bank and LME annual average data. That average was down 21.5% from $1,263 in 1981.

What is a 1982 aluminum price worth in today's dollars?

Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, aluminum's 1982 average of $992 works out to roughly $3,313 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 1982?

The defining story of 1982: Global recession low. Against that backdrop, the annual average fell 21.5%, from $1,263 in 1981 to $992.

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.