Palladium Price in 1980

In 1980, the price of palladium averaged $201 per troy ounce, up 67.5% 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 palladium would be worth in today's dollars.

1980 Average

$201

Annual average, USD/oz

Change vs 1979

+67.5%

from $120 in 1979

What happened to the palladium price in 1980

Palladium averaged $201 per troy ounce in 1980, surging 67.5% from the $120 average of 1979. Annual moves of that size are rare and put 1980 among the most explosive years in the metal's modern history. The defining story of 1980: Peak of the 1979-80 precious-metals bubble; blow-off top then collapse.

The 1980s opened with the collapse of the 1980 precious-metals bubble and a deep recession low, then recovered as three-way catalytic converters spread and autocatalyst demand for palladium began to build in earnest.

Adjusted for inflation, palladium's 1980 average of $201 equals about $786 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 palladium in 1980?

Palladium averaged $201 per troy ounce in 1980, based on LBMA and USGS annual average data. That average was up 67.5% from $120 in 1979.

What is a 1980 palladium price worth in today's dollars?

Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, palladium's 1980 average of $201 works out to roughly $786 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 palladium price in 1980?

The defining story of 1980: Peak of the 1979-80 precious-metals bubble; blow-off top then collapse. Against that backdrop, the annual average climbed 67.5%, from $120 in 1979 to $201.

Annual averages are USGS/Engelhard producer prices (1970 to 1988) and LBMA palladium prices (1989 to 2025) per troy ounce in US dollars. Where daily data exists, the per-year high, low, and close come from MetalCharts historical data. Inflation adjustments use BLS CPI-U annual averages.