Lead Price in 2022

In 2022, the price of lead averaged $2,151 per tonne, down 2.2% from the year before. This page covers the 2022 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that lead would be worth in today's dollars.

2022 Average

$2,151

LME annual average, USD/tonne

Change vs 2021

-2.2%

from $2,200 in 2021

2022 High

$2,461

from daily trading data

2022 Low

$1,738

from daily trading data

Year-End Close

$2,337

last trading day of 2022

Lead Price Chart, 2005 to 2025

Annual average lead price per tonne, 2005 to 2025, with 2022 marked.

What happened to the lead price in 2022

Lead averaged $2,151 per tonne in 2022, down 2.2% from $2,200 the year before. Daily trading data shows lead moved between a low of $1,738 and a high of $2,461 during the year, ending 2022 at $2,337. The notable development of 2022: Energy crisis and high volatility.

A COVID dip near $1,825 gave way to energy-crisis firmness above $2,100 in 2021-2022, before a gentle softening toward $1,960 by 2025.

Adjusted for inflation, lead's 2022 average of $2,151 equals about $2,369 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 2022?

Lead averaged $2,151 per tonne in 2022, based on World Bank and LME annual average data. Daily prices ranged from a low of $1,738 to a high of $2,461, and the year closed at $2,337. That average was down 2.2% from $2,200 in 2021.

What is a 2022 lead price worth in today's dollars?

Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, lead's 2022 average of $2,151 works out to roughly $2,369 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 2022?

The defining story of 2022: Energy crisis and high volatility. Against that backdrop, the annual average fell 2.2%, from $2,200 in 2021 to $2,151.

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.