Lead Price in 2002

In 2002, the price of lead averaged $453 per tonne, down 4.8% from the year before. This page covers the 2002 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that lead would be worth in today's dollars.

2002 Average

$453

LME annual average, USD/tonne

Change vs 2001

-4.8%

from $476 in 2001

2002 High

$534

from daily trading data

2002 Low

$402

from daily trading data

Year-End Close

$426

last trading day of 2002

Lead Price Chart, 1992 to 2012

Annual average lead price per tonne, 1992 to 2012, with 2002 marked.

What happened to the lead price in 2002

Lead averaged $453 per tonne in 2002, down 4.8% from $476 the year before. Daily trading data shows lead moved between a low of $402 and a high of $534 during the year, ending 2002 at $426. The notable development of 2002: Early-2000s trough before the super-cycle.

From an early-2000s trough near $450, the China supercycle and tightening supply spiked lead to about $2,580 in 2007, before the 2008 crisis crash.

Adjusted for inflation, lead's 2002 average of $453 equals about $812 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 2002?

Lead averaged $453 per tonne in 2002, based on World Bank and LME annual average data. Daily prices ranged from a low of $402 to a high of $534, and the year closed at $426. That average was down 4.8% from $476 in 2001.

What is a 2002 lead price worth in today's dollars?

Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, lead's 2002 average of $453 works out to roughly $812 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 2002?

The defining story of 2002: Early-2000s trough before the super-cycle. Against that backdrop, the annual average fell 4.8%, from $476 in 2001 to $453.

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.