Lead Price in 2009

In 2009, the price of lead averaged $1,719 per tonne, down 17.8% from the year before. This page covers the 2009 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that lead would be worth in today's dollars.

2009 Average

$1,719

LME annual average, USD/tonne

Change vs 2008

-17.8%

from $2,091 in 2008

2009 High

$2,453

from daily trading data

2009 Low

$983

from daily trading data

Year-End Close

$2,402

last trading day of 2009

Lead Price Chart, 1999 to 2019

Annual average lead price per tonne, 1999 to 2019, with 2009 marked.

What happened to the lead price in 2009

Lead averaged $1,719 per tonne in 2009, sliding 17.8% from the $2,091 average of 2008. Daily trading data shows lead moved between a low of $983 and a high of $2,453 during the year, ending 2009 at $2,402. The notable development of 2009: Post-crash trough.

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 2009 average of $1,719 equals about $2,583 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 2009?

Lead averaged $1,719 per tonne in 2009, based on World Bank and LME annual average data. Daily prices ranged from a low of $983 to a high of $2,453, and the year closed at $2,402. That average was down 17.8% from $2,091 in 2008.

What is a 2009 lead price worth in today's dollars?

Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, lead's 2009 average of $1,719 works out to roughly $2,583 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 2009?

The defining story of 2009: Post-crash trough. Against that backdrop, the annual average fell 17.8%, from $2,091 in 2008 to $1,719.

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.