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

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.