Zinc Price in 2006

In 2006, the price of zinc averaged $3,275 per tonne, up 137.1% from the year before. This page covers the 2006 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that zinc would be worth in today's dollars.

2006 Average

$3,275

LME annual average, USD/tonne

Change vs 2005

+137.1%

from $1,381 in 2005

What happened to the zinc price in 2006

Zinc averaged $3,275 per tonne in 2006, surging 137.1% from the $1,381 average of 2005. Annual moves of that size are rare and put 2006 among the most explosive years in the metal's modern history. The defining story of 2006: China-led supercycle spike; monthly peak ~$4,380 in Nov.

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 2006 average of $3,275 equals about $5,236 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 2006?

Zinc averaged $3,275 per tonne in 2006, based on World Bank and LME annual average data. That average was up 137.1% from $1,381 in 2005.

What is a 2006 zinc price worth in today's dollars?

Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, zinc's 2006 average of $3,275 works out to roughly $5,236 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 2006?

The defining story of 2006: China-led supercycle spike; monthly peak ~$4,380 in Nov. Against that backdrop, the annual average climbed 137.1%, from $1,381 in 2005 to $3,275.

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.