Nickel Price in 1972
In 1972, the price of nickel averaged $3,080 per tonne, up 5.0% from the year before. This page covers the 1972 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that nickel would be worth in today's dollars.
1972 Average
$3,080
LME annual average, USD/tonne
Change vs 1971
+5.0%
from $2,932 in 1971
What happened to the nickel price in 1972
Nickel averaged $3,080 per tonne in 1972, up 5.0% from $2,932 the year before.
Nickel traded as a producer-set metal through the 1970s, well before the LME launched its nickel contract in April 1979; prices rose with inflation from around $2,850 to roughly $5,100 per tonne.
Adjusted for inflation, nickel's 1972 average of $3,080 equals about $23,748 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 nickel in 1972?
What is a 1972 nickel price worth in today's dollars?
Annual averages are World Bank and LME nickel prices per tonne in US dollars (LME cash and settlement basis). Values before the LME nickel contract launched in April 1979 are producer and reference prices, and 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.