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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

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.