Lead Price in 2004

In 2004, the price of lead averaged $887 per tonne, up 72.2% from the year before. This page covers the 2004 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that lead would be worth in today's dollars.

2004 Average

$887

LME annual average, USD/tonne

Change vs 2003

+72.2%

from $515 in 2003

What happened to the lead price in 2004

Lead averaged $887 per tonne in 2004, surging 72.2% from the $515 average of 2003. Annual moves of that size are rare and put 2004 among the most explosive years in the metal's modern history.

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 2004 average of $887 equals about $1,513 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 2004?

Lead averaged $887 per tonne in 2004, based on World Bank and LME annual average data. That average was up 72.2% from $515 in 2003.

What is a 2004 lead price worth in today's dollars?

Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, lead's 2004 average of $887 works out to roughly $1,513 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 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.