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

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. 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. 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.