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Zinc Price in 1988

In 1988, the price of zinc averaged $1,242 per tonne, up 55.4% from the year before. This page covers the 1988 average, the events that moved the market, and what that zinc would be worth in today's dollars.

1988 Average

$1,242

LME annual average, USD/tonne

Change vs 1987

+55.4%

from $799 in 1987

Zinc Price Chart, 1978 to 1998

Annual average zinc price per tonne, 1978 to 1998, with 1988 marked.

What happened to the zinc price in 1988

Zinc averaged $1,242 per tonne in 1988, surging 55.4% from the $799 average of 1987. Annual moves of that size are rare and put 1988 among the most explosive years in the metal's modern history. The defining story of 1988: Strong rally.

Zinc traded in a broad range through the 1980s, ending the decade with a rally to around $1,660 as the modern LME special-high-grade contract took hold.

Adjusted for inflation, zinc's 1988 average of $1,242 equals about $3,384 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.

Data note: LME special high grade (SHG) contract basis.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the price of zinc in 1988?
Zinc averaged $1,242 per tonne in 1988, based on World Bank and LME annual average data. That average was up 55.4% from $799 in 1987.
What is a 1988 zinc price worth in today's dollars?
Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, zinc's 1988 average of $1,242 works out to roughly $3,384 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 zinc price in 1988?
The defining story of 1988: Strong rally. Against that backdrop, the annual average climbed 55.4%, from $799 in 1987 to $1,242.

Annual averages are World Bank and LME zinc prices per tonne in US dollars (LME cash and settlement basis). 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.