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Copper Price in 1986

In 1986, the price of copper averaged $0.62 per pound, down 3.1% from the year before. This page covers the 1986 average and what that copper would be worth in today's dollars.

1986 Average

$0.62

LME/COMEX annual average, USD/lb

Change vs 1985

-3.1%

from $0.64 in 1985

Copper Price Chart, 1976 to 1996

Annual average copper price per pound, 1976 to 1996, with 1986 marked.

What happened to the copper price in 1986

Copper averaged $0.62 per pound in 1986, down 3.1% from $0.64 the year before.

The 1980s were mostly difficult for copper. Volcker's rate hikes, a deep early-decade recession, and the Latin American debt crisis kept prices depressed for years before a late-decade surge on strong global demand pushed copper back above a dollar.

Adjusted for inflation, copper's 1986 average of $0.62 equals about $1.82 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 copper in 1986?
Copper averaged $0.62 per pound in 1986, based on LME and COMEX annual average data. That average was down 3.1% from $0.64 in 1985.
What is a 1986 copper price worth in today's dollars?
Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, copper's 1986 average of $0.62 works out to roughly $1.82 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.

Annual averages are LME and COMEX copper prices per pound in US dollars. Where shown, the yearly high, low, and close come from MetalCharts daily historical data and may differ slightly from figures published elsewhere. Inflation adjustments use BLS CPI-U annual averages.