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Palladium Price in 1989

In 1989, the price of palladium averaged $146 per troy ounce, up 18.7% from the year before. This page covers the 1989 average, the events that moved the market, and what that palladium would be worth in today's dollars.

1989 Average

$146

Annual average, USD/oz

Change vs 1988

+18.7%

from $123 in 1988

Palladium Price Chart, 1979 to 1999

Annual average palladium price per troy ounce, 1979 to 1999, with 1989 marked.

What happened to the palladium price in 1989

Palladium averaged $146 per troy ounce in 1989, climbing 18.7% from the $123 average of 1988. The notable development of 1989: LBMA begins publishing a palladium price.

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 1989 average of $146 equals about $379 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 1989?
Palladium averaged $146 per troy ounce in 1989, based on LBMA and USGS annual average data. That average was up 18.7% from $123 in 1988.
What is a 1989 palladium price worth in today's dollars?
Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, palladium's 1989 average of $146 works out to roughly $379 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 1989?
The defining story of 1989: LBMA begins publishing a palladium price. Against that backdrop, the annual average climbed 18.7%, from $123 in 1988 to $146.

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.