Aluminum Price in 2008

In 2008, the price of aluminum averaged $2,573 per tonne, down 2.5% from the year before. This page covers the 2008 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that aluminum would be worth in today's dollars.

2008 Average

$2,573

LME annual average, USD/tonne

Change vs 2007

-2.5%

from $2,638 in 2007

What happened to the aluminum price in 2008

Aluminum averaged $2,573 per tonne in 2008, down 2.5% from $2,638 the year before. The notable development of 2008: Pre-crisis peak; matches ~$2570 anchor.

The China-led supercycle lifted aluminum past $2,600 by 2006-2008 before the 2008 financial crisis crashed it to around $1,665 in 2009.

Adjusted for inflation, aluminum's 2008 average of $2,573 equals about $3,852 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 2008?

Aluminum averaged $2,573 per tonne in 2008, based on World Bank and LME annual average data. That average was down 2.5% from $2,638 in 2007.

What is a 2008 aluminum price worth in today's dollars?

Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, aluminum's 2008 average of $2,573 works out to roughly $3,852 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 2008?

The defining story of 2008: Pre-crisis peak; matches ~$2570 anchor. Against that backdrop, the annual average fell 2.5%, from $2,638 in 2007 to $2,573.

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.