Zinc Price in 2022

In 2022, the price of zinc averaged $3,481 per tonne, up 15.9% from the year before. This page covers the 2022 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that zinc would be worth in today's dollars.

2022 Average

$3,481

LME annual average, USD/tonne

Change vs 2021

+15.9%

from $3,003 in 2021

2022 High

$4,499

from daily trading data

2022 Low

$2,665

from daily trading data

Year-End Close

$2,973

last trading day of 2022

Zinc Price Chart, 2005 to 2025

Annual average zinc price per tonne, 2005 to 2025, with 2022 marked.

What happened to the zinc price in 2022

Zinc averaged $3,481 per tonne in 2022, climbing 15.9% from the $3,003 average of 2021. Daily trading data shows zinc moved between a low of $2,665 and a high of $4,499 during the year, ending 2022 at $2,973. The notable development of 2022: Record annual average; European energy crisis / Ukraine war; intraday peak ~$4,900 in Mar.

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 2022 average of $3,481 equals about $3,833 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 2022?

Zinc averaged $3,481 per tonne in 2022, based on World Bank and LME annual average data. Daily prices ranged from a low of $2,665 to a high of $4,499, and the year closed at $2,973. That average was up 15.9% from $3,003 in 2021.

What is a 2022 zinc price worth in today's dollars?

Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, zinc's 2022 average of $3,481 works out to roughly $3,833 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 2022?

The defining story of 2022: Record annual average; European energy crisis / Ukraine war; intraday peak ~$4,900 in Mar. Against that backdrop, the annual average climbed 15.9%, from $3,003 in 2021 to $3,481.

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.