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Palladium Price in 1981

In 1981, the price of palladium averaged $95 per troy ounce, down 52.7% from the year before. This page covers the 1981 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that palladium would be worth in today's dollars.

1981 Average

$95

Annual average, USD/oz

Change vs 1980

-52.7%

from $201 in 1980

What happened to the palladium price in 1981

Palladium averaged $95 per troy ounce in 1981, collapsing 52.7% from the $201 average of 1980. The defining story of 1981: Bubble bursts; price more than halves amid recession.

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 1981 average of $95 equals about $337 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 1981?
Palladium averaged $95 per troy ounce in 1981, based on LBMA and USGS annual average data. That average was down 52.7% from $201 in 1980.
What is a 1981 palladium price worth in today's dollars?
Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, palladium's 1981 average of $95 works out to roughly $337 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 1981?
The defining story of 1981: Bubble bursts; price more than halves amid recession. Against that backdrop, the annual average fell 52.7%, from $201 in 1980 to $95.

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.