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

2008 High

$2,815

from daily trading data

2008 Low

$1,047

from daily trading data

Year-End Close

$1,187

last trading day of 2008

Zinc Price Chart, 1998 to 2018

Annual average zinc price per tonne, 1998 to 2018, with 2008 marked.

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. Daily trading data shows zinc moved between a low of $1,047 and a high of $2,815 during the year, ending 2008 at $1,187. 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. Daily prices ranged from a low of $1,047 to a high of $2,815, and the year closed at $1,187. 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.