Nickel Price in 1979

In 1979, the price of nickel averaged $5,986 per tonne, up 29.9% from the year before. This page covers the 1979 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that nickel would be worth in today's dollars.

1979 Average

$5,986

LME annual average, USD/tonne

Change vs 1978

+29.9%

from $4,609 in 1978

What happened to the nickel price in 1979

Nickel averaged $5,986 per tonne in 1979, climbing 29.9% from the $4,609 average of 1978. The notable development of 1979: LME nickel contract launched April 1979; first LME-traded year..

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 1979 average of $5,986 equals about $26,574 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 1979?

Nickel averaged $5,986 per tonne in 1979, based on World Bank and LME annual average data. That average was up 29.9% from $4,609 in 1978.

What is a 1979 nickel price worth in today's dollars?

Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, nickel's 1979 average of $5,986 works out to roughly $26,574 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 nickel price in 1979?

The defining story of 1979: LME nickel contract launched April 1979; first LME-traded year.. Against that backdrop, the annual average climbed 29.9%, from $4,609 in 1978 to $5,986.

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.