Zinc Price in 2008

In 2008, the price of zinc averaged $1,875 per tonne, down 42.2% from the year before. This page covers the 2008 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that zinc would be worth in today's dollars.

2008 Average

$1,875

LME annual average, USD/tonne

Change vs 2007

-42.2%

from $3,242 in 2007

What happened to the zinc price in 2008

Zinc averaged $1,875 per tonne in 2008, collapsing 42.2% from the $3,242 average of 2007. The defining story of 2008: Global financial crisis crash.

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 2008 average of $1,875 equals about $2,807 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 2008?

Zinc averaged $1,875 per tonne in 2008, based on World Bank and LME annual average data. That average was down 42.2% from $3,242 in 2007.

What is a 2008 zinc price worth in today's dollars?

Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, zinc's 2008 average of $1,875 works out to roughly $2,807 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 2008?

The defining story of 2008: Global financial crisis crash. Against that backdrop, the annual average fell 42.2%, from $3,242 in 2007 to $1,875.

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.