Gold Price in 1990

In 1990, the price of gold averaged $383 per troy ounce, up 0.5% from the year before. This page covers the 1990 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that gold would be worth in today's dollars.

1990 Average

$383

LBMA annual average, USD/oz

Change vs 1989

+0.5%

from $381 in 1989

1990 High

$430

from daily trading data

1990 Low

$348

from daily trading data

Year-End Close

$396

last trading day of 1990

What happened to the gold price in 1990

Gold averaged $383 per troy ounce in 1990, essentially unchanged from $381 in 1989. Daily trading data shows gold moved between a low of $348 and a high of $430 during the year, ending 1990 at $396. The notable development of 1990: Gulf War begins.

The 1990s extended gold's long bear market. Low inflation, a roaring stock market, and steady central bank selling kept the metal drifting lower for most of the decade, and by 1999 gold had bottomed near $255 per ounce.

Adjusted for inflation, gold's 1990 average of $383 equals about $944 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 1990?

Gold averaged $383 per troy ounce in 1990, based on LBMA annual average data. Daily prices ranged from a low of $348 to a high of $430, and the year closed at $396. That average was up 0.5% from $381 in 1989.

What is a 1990 gold price worth in today's dollars?

Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, gold's 1990 average of $383 works out to roughly $944 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 1990?

The defining story of 1990: Gulf War begins. Against that backdrop, the annual average climbed 0.5%, from $381 in 1989 to $383.

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.