Gold Price in 1986
In 1986, the price of gold averaged $368 per troy ounce, up 16.1% from the year before. This page covers the 1986 average, high, low, and year-end close, and what that gold would be worth in today's dollars.
1986 Average
$368
LBMA annual average, USD/oz
Change vs 1985
+16.1%
from $317 in 1985
1986 High
$447
from daily trading data
1986 Low
$328
from daily trading data
Year-End Close
$407
last trading day of 1986
Gold Price Chart, 1976 to 1996
Gold Price by Month in 1986
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 1986 | $347 | $370 | $328 |
| February 1986 | $341 | $358 | $332 |
| March 1986 | $347 | $360 | $334 |
| April 1986 | $344 | $353 | $331 |
| May 1986 | $344 | $349 | $338 |
| June 1986 | $346 | $355 | $337 |
| July 1986 | $351 | $371 | $343 |
| August 1986 | $383 | $405 | $364 |
| September 1986 | $424 | $446 | $397 |
| October 1986 | $427 | $447 | $400 |
| November 1986 | $398 | $414 | $377 |
| December 1986 | $395 | $408 | $387 |
What happened to the gold price in 1986
Gold averaged $368 per troy ounce in 1986, climbing 16.1% from the $317 average of 1985. Daily trading data shows gold moved between a low of $328 and a high of $447 during the year, ending 1986 at $407.
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 1986 average of $368 equals about $1,082 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 1986?
What is a 1986 gold price worth in today's dollars?
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.