Aluminum Price in 2009

In 2009, the price of aluminum averaged $1,665 per tonne, down 35.3% from the year before. This page covers the 2009 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that aluminum would be worth in today's dollars.

2009 Average

$1,665

LME annual average, USD/tonne

Change vs 2008

-35.3%

from $2,573 in 2008

What happened to the aluminum price in 2009

Aluminum averaged $1,665 per tonne in 2009, collapsing 35.3% from the $2,573 average of 2008. The defining story of 2009: Global financial crisis crash; matches ~$1665 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 2009 average of $1,665 equals about $2,502 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 2009?

Aluminum averaged $1,665 per tonne in 2009, based on World Bank and LME annual average data. That average was down 35.3% from $2,573 in 2008.

What is a 2009 aluminum price worth in today's dollars?

Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, aluminum's 2009 average of $1,665 works out to roughly $2,502 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 2009?

The defining story of 2009: Global financial crisis crash; matches ~$1665 anchor. Against that backdrop, the annual average fell 35.3%, from $2,573 in 2008 to $1,665.

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.