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, high, low, and year-end close, 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

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.