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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, 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

Lead Price Chart, 1970 to 1990

Annual average lead price per tonne, 1970 to 1990, with 1979 marked.

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.