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

2018 High

$3,595

from daily trading data

2018 Low

$2,283

from daily trading data

Year-End Close

$2,446

last trading day of 2018

Zinc Price Chart, 2005 to 2025

Annual average zinc price per tonne, 2005 to 2025, with 2018 marked.

What happened to the zinc price in 2018

Zinc averaged $2,922 per tonne in 2018, essentially unchanged from $2,891 in 2017. Daily trading data shows zinc moved between a low of $2,283 and a high of $3,595 during the year, ending 2018 at $2,446. 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. Daily prices ranged from a low of $2,283 to a high of $3,595, and the year closed at $2,446. 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.