Nickel Price in 1980
In 1980, the price of nickel averaged $6,519 per tonne, up 8.9% from the year before. This page covers the 1980 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that nickel would be worth in today's dollars.
1980 Average
$6,519
LME annual average, USD/tonne
Change vs 1979
+8.9%
from $5,986 in 1979
What happened to the nickel price in 1980
Nickel averaged $6,519 per tonne in 1980, up 8.9% from $5,986 the year before.
The early-1980s recession pressured nickel, but a stainless-steel demand surge and low inventories produced a dramatic spike to nearly $13,800 in 1988, up about 185% in a single year.
Adjusted for inflation, nickel's 1980 average of $6,519 equals about $25,498 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 1980?
What is a 1980 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.