Gold Price in 1982

In 1982, the price of gold averaged $376 per troy ounce, down 18.3% 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 gold would be worth in today's dollars.

1982 Average

$376

LBMA annual average, USD/oz

Change vs 1981

-18.3%

from $460 in 1981

1982 High

$509

from daily trading data

1982 Low

$298

from daily trading data

Year-End Close

$453

last trading day of 1982

Gold Price Chart, 1972 to 1992

Annual average gold price per troy ounce, 1972 to 1992, with 1982 marked.

Gold Price by Month in 1982

Each month's average of daily closing prices, with its high and low, per troy ounce. These come from MetalCharts daily spot data, so they can differ slightly from the annual average above, which is based on LBMA annual average data.

Month	Average	High	Low
January 1982	$385	$411	$369
February 1982	$381	$394	$363
March 1982	$332	$367	$313
April 1982	$356	$378	$329
May 1982	$336	$351	$322
June 1982	$320	$343	$298
July 1982	$343	$370	$308
August 1982	$378	$441	$340
September 1982	$444	$509	$396
October 1982	$427	$465	$390
November 1982	$417	$450	$398
December 1982	$450	$469	$435

What happened to the gold price in 1982

Gold averaged $376 per troy ounce in 1982, sliding 18.3% from the $460 average of 1981. Daily trading data shows gold moved between a low of $298 and a high of $509 during the year, ending 1982 at $453. The notable development of 1982: Latin American debt crisis.

The 1980s marked the start of a two-decade bear market for gold. Paul Volcker's aggressive interest rate hikes broke the back of inflation and pushed real yields sharply higher, pulling capital out of bullion and into bonds and equities.

Adjusted for inflation, gold's 1982 average of $376 equals about $1,256 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 gold in 1982?

Gold averaged $376 per troy ounce in 1982, based on LBMA annual average data. Daily prices ranged from a low of $298 to a high of $509, and the year closed at $453. That average was down 18.3% from $460 in 1981.

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

Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, gold's 1982 average of $376 works out to roughly $1,256 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 gold price in 1982?

The defining story of 1982: Latin American debt crisis. Against that backdrop, the annual average fell 18.3%, from $460 in 1981 to $376.

Annual averages are LBMA prices per troy ounce 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.