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Palladium Price in 1987

In 1987, the price of palladium averaged $130 per troy ounce, up 12.1% from the year before. This page covers the 1987 average, the events that moved the market, and what that palladium would be worth in today's dollars.

1987 Average

$130

Annual average, USD/oz

Change vs 1986

+12.1%

from $116 in 1986

Palladium Price Chart, 1977 to 1997

Annual average palladium price per troy ounce, 1977 to 1997, with 1987 marked.

What happened to the palladium price in 1987

Palladium averaged $130 per troy ounce in 1987, up 12.1% from $116 the year before. The notable development of 1987: Autocatalyst demand growing as three-way catalysts spread.

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 1987 average of $130 equals about $369 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 1987?
Palladium averaged $130 per troy ounce in 1987, based on LBMA and USGS annual average data. That average was up 12.1% from $116 in 1986.
What is a 1987 palladium price worth in today's dollars?
Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, palladium's 1987 average of $130 works out to roughly $369 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 1987?
The defining story of 1987: Autocatalyst demand growing as three-way catalysts spread. Against that backdrop, the annual average climbed 12.1%, from $116 in 1986 to $130.

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.