Lead Price in 1979

In 1979, the price of lead averaged $1,208 per tonne, up 82.5% from the year before. This page covers the 1979 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that lead would be worth in today's dollars.

1979 Average

$1,208

LME annual average, USD/tonne

Change vs 1978

+82.5%

from $662 in 1978

What happened to the lead price in 1979

Lead averaged $1,208 per tonne in 1979, surging 82.5% from the $662 average of 1978. Annual moves of that size are rare and put 1979 among the most explosive years in the metal's modern history. The defining story of 1979: Late-1970s metals peak.

Lead rose through the 1970s inflation era, spiking on the first oil shock and reaching around $1,200 per tonne by the 1979 metals peak.

Adjusted for inflation, lead's 1979 average of $1,208 equals about $5,363 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 lead in 1979?

Lead averaged $1,208 per tonne in 1979, based on World Bank and LME annual average data. That average was up 82.5% from $662 in 1978.

What is a 1979 lead price worth in today's dollars?

Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, lead's 1979 average of $1,208 works out to roughly $5,363 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 lead price in 1979?

The defining story of 1979: Late-1970s metals peak. Against that backdrop, the annual average climbed 82.5%, from $662 in 1978 to $1,208.

Annual averages are World Bank and LME lead prices per tonne in US dollars (LME cash and settlement basis). The 2025 figure is preliminary. Where daily data exists, the per-year high, low, and close come from MetalCharts historical data. Inflation adjustments use BLS CPI-U annual averages.