Nickel Price in 2009

In 2009, the price of nickel averaged $14,655 per tonne, down 30.6% 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 nickel would be worth in today's dollars.

2009 Average

$14,655

LME annual average, USD/tonne

Change vs 2008

-30.6%

from $21,111 in 2008

2009 High

$20,536

from daily trading data

2009 Low

$9,376

from daily trading data

Year-End Close

$18,467

last trading day of 2009

What happened to the nickel price in 2009

Nickel averaged $14,655 per tonne in 2009, collapsing 30.6% from the $21,111 average of 2008. Daily trading data shows nickel moved between a low of $9,376 and a high of $20,536 during the year, ending 2009 at $18,467. The defining story of 2009: Post-crisis low..

The China supercycle drove nickel to a record annual average above $37,000 in 2007, with an intraday spike near $54,000, before the 2008 crisis cut it in half.

Adjusted for inflation, nickel's 2009 average of $14,655 equals about $22,020 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 2009?

Nickel averaged $14,655 per tonne in 2009, based on World Bank and LME annual average data. Daily prices ranged from a low of $9,376 to a high of $20,536, and the year closed at $18,467. That average was down 30.6% from $21,111 in 2008.

What is a 2009 nickel price worth in today's dollars?

Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, nickel's 2009 average of $14,655 works out to roughly $22,020 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 2009?

The defining story of 2009: Post-crisis low.. Against that backdrop, the annual average fell 30.6%, from $21,111 in 2008 to $14,655.

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.