Zinc Price in 2021

In 2021, the price of zinc averaged $3,003 per tonne, up 32.5% from the year before. This page covers the 2021 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that zinc would be worth in today's dollars.

2021 Average

$3,003

LME annual average, USD/tonne

Change vs 2020

+32.5%

from $2,266 in 2020

2021 High

$3,795

from daily trading data

2021 Low

$2,547

from daily trading data

Year-End Close

$3,534

last trading day of 2021

Zinc Price Chart, 2005 to 2025

Annual average zinc price per tonne, 2005 to 2025, with 2021 marked.

What happened to the zinc price in 2021

Zinc averaged $3,003 per tonne in 2021, climbing 32.5% from the $2,266 average of 2020. Daily trading data shows zinc moved between a low of $2,547 and a high of $3,795 during the year, ending 2021 at $3,534. The defining story of 2021: Energy-crisis smelter cuts drive prices up.

A COVID dip near $2,270 gave way to an energy-crisis spike to a record annual average around $3,480 in 2022, as European smelters cut output, before easing back toward $2,800.

Adjusted for inflation, zinc's 2021 average of $3,003 equals about $3,571 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 2021?

Zinc averaged $3,003 per tonne in 2021, based on World Bank and LME annual average data. Daily prices ranged from a low of $2,547 to a high of $3,795, and the year closed at $3,534. That average was up 32.5% from $2,266 in 2020.

What is a 2021 zinc price worth in today's dollars?

Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, zinc's 2021 average of $3,003 works out to roughly $3,571 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 2021?

The defining story of 2021: Energy-crisis smelter cuts drive prices up. Against that backdrop, the annual average climbed 32.5%, from $2,266 in 2020 to $3,003.

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.