Zinc Price in 2017

In 2017, the price of zinc averaged $2,891 per tonne, up 38.3% from the year before. This page covers the 2017 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that zinc would be worth in today's dollars.

2017 Average

$2,891

LME annual average, USD/tonne

Change vs 2016

+38.3%

from $2,090 in 2016

2017 High

$3,326

from daily trading data

2017 Low

$2,427

from daily trading data

Year-End Close

$3,313

last trading day of 2017

Zinc Price Chart, 2005 to 2025

Annual average zinc price per tonne, 2005 to 2025, with 2017 marked.

What happened to the zinc price in 2017

Zinc averaged $2,891 per tonne in 2017, climbing 38.3% from the $2,090 average of 2016. Daily trading data shows zinc moved between a low of $2,427 and a high of $3,326 during the year, ending 2017 at $3,313. The defining story of 2017: Supply-deficit rally.

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 2017 average of $2,891 equals about $3,802 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 2017?

Zinc averaged $2,891 per tonne in 2017, based on World Bank and LME annual average data. Daily prices ranged from a low of $2,427 to a high of $3,326, and the year closed at $3,313. That average was up 38.3% from $2,090 in 2016.

What is a 2017 zinc price worth in today's dollars?

Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, zinc's 2017 average of $2,891 works out to roughly $3,802 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 2017?

The defining story of 2017: Supply-deficit rally. Against that backdrop, the annual average climbed 38.3%, from $2,090 in 2016 to $2,891.

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.