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

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. 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. 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.