Zinc Price in 2018

In 2018, the price of zinc averaged $2,922 per tonne, up 1.1% from the year before. This page covers the 2018 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that zinc would be worth in today's dollars.

2018 Average

$2,922

LME annual average, USD/tonne

Change vs 2017

+1.1%

from $2,891 in 2017

What happened to the zinc price in 2018

Zinc averaged $2,922 per tonne in 2018, essentially unchanged from $2,891 in 2017. The notable development of 2018: Cyclical high; mid-year squeeze.

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 2018 average of $2,922 equals about $3,751 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 2018?

Zinc averaged $2,922 per tonne in 2018, based on World Bank and LME annual average data. That average was up 1.1% from $2,891 in 2017.

What is a 2018 zinc price worth in today's dollars?

Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, zinc's 2018 average of $2,922 works out to roughly $3,751 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 2018?

The defining story of 2018: Cyclical high; mid-year squeeze. Against that backdrop, the annual average climbed 1.1%, from $2,891 in 2017 to $2,922.

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.