Gold Price in 1996

In 1996, the price of gold averaged $388 per troy ounce, up 1.0% from the year before. This page covers the 1996 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that gold would be worth in today's dollars.

1996 Average

$388

LBMA annual average, USD/oz

Change vs 1995

+1.0%

from $384 in 1995

1996 High

$420

from daily trading data

1996 Low

$368

from daily trading data

Year-End Close

$369

last trading day of 1996

What happened to the gold price in 1996

Gold averaged $388 per troy ounce in 1996, essentially unchanged from $384 in 1995. Daily trading data shows gold moved between a low of $368 and a high of $420 during the year, ending 1996 at $369.

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 1996 average of $388 equals about $797 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 1996?

Gold averaged $388 per troy ounce in 1996, based on LBMA annual average data. Daily prices ranged from a low of $368 to a high of $420, and the year closed at $369. That average was up 1.0% from $384 in 1995.

What is a 1996 gold price worth in today's dollars?

Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, gold's 1996 average of $388 works out to roughly $797 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 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.