Zinc Price in 2016

In 2016, the price of zinc averaged $2,090 per tonne, up 8.2% from the year before. This page covers the 2016 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that zinc would be worth in today's dollars.

2016 Average

$2,090

LME annual average, USD/tonne

Change vs 2015

+8.2%

from $1,932 in 2015

2016 High

$2,984

from daily trading data

2016 Low

$1,444

from daily trading data

Year-End Close

$2,567

last trading day of 2016

What happened to the zinc price in 2016

Zinc averaged $2,090 per tonne in 2016, up 8.2% from $1,932 the year before. Daily trading data shows zinc moved between a low of $1,444 and a high of $2,984 during the year, ending 2016 at $2,567.

Zinc recovered through the 2010s on a tightening concentrate market, climbing from around $1,900 to a supply-deficit rally near $2,900 in 2017-2018.

Adjusted for inflation, zinc's 2016 average of $2,090 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 2016?

Zinc averaged $2,090 per tonne in 2016, based on World Bank and LME annual average data. Daily prices ranged from a low of $1,444 to a high of $2,984, and the year closed at $2,567. That average was up 8.2% from $1,932 in 2015.

What is a 2016 zinc price worth in today's dollars?

Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, zinc's 2016 average of $2,090 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.

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.