Aluminum Price in 1988

In 1988, the price of aluminum averaged $2,550 per tonne, up 62.9% from the year before. This page covers the 1988 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that aluminum would be worth in today's dollars.

1988 Average

$2,550

LME annual average, USD/tonne

Change vs 1987

+62.9%

from $1,565 in 1987

What happened to the aluminum price in 1988

Aluminum averaged $2,550 per tonne in 1988, surging 62.9% from the $1,565 average of 1987. Annual moves of that size are rare and put 1988 among the most explosive years in the metal's modern history. The defining story of 1988: Late-1980s supply-shortage spike; matches ~$2550 anchor.

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 1988 average of $2,550 equals about $6,947 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 1988?

Aluminum averaged $2,550 per tonne in 1988, based on World Bank and LME annual average data. That average was up 62.9% from $1,565 in 1987.

What is a 1988 aluminum price worth in today's dollars?

Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, aluminum's 1988 average of $2,550 works out to roughly $6,947 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 1988?

The defining story of 1988: Late-1980s supply-shortage spike; matches ~$2550 anchor. Against that backdrop, the annual average climbed 62.9%, from $1,565 in 1987 to $2,550.

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.