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, 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

Zinc Price Chart, 1996 to 2016

Annual average zinc price per tonne, 1996 to 2016, with 2006 marked.

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.