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Zinc Price in 2002

In 2002, the price of zinc averaged $779 per tonne, down 12.1% from the year before. This page covers the 2002 average, the events that moved the market, and what that zinc would be worth in today's dollars.

2002 Average

$779

LME annual average, USD/tonne

Change vs 2001

-12.1%

from $886 in 2001

Zinc Price Chart, 1992 to 2012

Annual average zinc price per tonne, 1992 to 2012, with 2002 marked.

What happened to the zinc price in 2002

Zinc averaged $779 per tonne in 2002, down 12.1% from $886 the year before. The notable development of 2002: Multi-year cycle low.

After an early-2000s trough near $780, the China supercycle sent zinc spiking above $3,270 in 2006 before the 2008 financial crisis crashed it back below $1,900.

Adjusted for inflation, zinc's 2002 average of $779 equals about $1,396 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 zinc in 2002?
Zinc averaged $779 per tonne in 2002, based on World Bank and LME annual average data. That average was down 12.1% from $886 in 2001.
What is a 2002 zinc price worth in today's dollars?
Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, zinc's 2002 average of $779 works out to roughly $1,396 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 2002?
The defining story of 2002: Multi-year cycle low. Against that backdrop, the annual average fell 12.1%, from $886 in 2001 to $779.

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.