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

What happened to the lead price in 2002

Lead averaged $453 per tonne in 2002, down 4.8% from $476 the year before. 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. 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.