¶ All commodities (1950 vs 2020)
| Commodity |
Price 1950 ($/t) |
Price 2020 ($/t) |
Price growth |
Purchasing power change |
| gemstones |
497,000,000 |
14,700,000 |
0.0x |
1101.6x |
| diamond |
16,600,000 |
1,060,000 |
0.1x |
510.2x |
| gallium |
3,000,000 |
596,000 |
0.2x |
164.0x |
| cadmium |
4,780 |
2,290 |
0.5x |
68.0x |
| titanium-metal |
11,000 |
11,500 |
1.0x |
31.2x |
| bismuth |
4,540 |
6,000 |
1.3x |
24.7x |
| sulfur |
17.8 |
24.6 |
1.4x |
23.6x |
| rare-earths |
3,540 |
5,130 |
1.4x |
22.5x |
| selenium |
6,060 |
14,700 |
2.4x |
13.4x |
| germanum |
397,000 |
1,050,000 |
2.6x |
12.3x |
| peat |
9.63 |
26.1 |
2.7x |
12.0x |
| nitrogen |
84.8 |
235.0 |
2.8x |
11.8x |
| gypsum |
3.06 |
8.55 |
2.8x |
11.7x |
| beryllium |
210,000 |
615,000 |
2.9x |
11.1x |
| garnet |
94.0 |
435.0 |
4.6x |
7.0x |
| bauxite-alumina |
6.15 |
30.1 |
4.9x |
6.7x |
| aluminum |
390.0 |
1,980 |
5.1x |
6.4x |
| dimension-stone |
36.0 |
187.3 |
5.2x |
6.3x |
| indium |
72,300 |
395,000 |
5.5x |
6.0x |
| soda-ash |
23.7 |
141.0 |
5.9x |
5.5x |
| vanadium |
4,050 |
26,300 |
6.5x |
5.0x |
| iron-steel-scrap |
34.8 |
228.0 |
6.6x |
5.0x |
| abrasives-manufactured |
98.0 |
646.0 |
6.6x |
4.9x |
| lead |
293.0 |
2,010 |
6.9x |
4.7x |
| pumice |
4.08 |
31.0 |
7.6x |
4.3x |
| zinc |
306.0 |
2,440 |
8.0x |
4.1x |
| iron-oxide-pigments |
122.0 |
1,010 |
8.3x |
3.9x |
| tin |
2,110 |
17,600 |
8.3x |
3.9x |
| crushed_stone |
1.49 |
12.7 |
8.5x |
3.8x |
| perlite |
7.04 |
61.0 |
8.7x |
3.8x |
| helium |
2,870 |
25,300 |
8.8x |
3.7x |
| potash |
41.7 |
369.0 |
8.8x |
3.7x |
| cement |
13.8 |
125.0 |
9.1x |
3.6x |
| molybdenum |
2,150 |
19,900 |
9.3x |
3.5x |
| magnesium-metal |
551.0 |
5,130 |
9.3x |
3.5x |
| cobalt |
3,670 |
34,500 |
9.4x |
3.5x |
| titanium-pigments |
297.0 |
2,830 |
9.5x |
3.4x |
| iodine |
3,211 |
31,600 |
9.8x |
3.3x |
| silicon |
232.0 |
2,370 |
10.2x |
3.2x |
| kyanite |
34.7 |
372.0 |
10.7x |
3.0x |
| lime |
12.3 |
136.0 |
11.1x |
2.9x |
| mica |
60.0 |
675.0 |
11.2x |
2.9x |
| talc |
19.0 |
230.0 |
12.1x |
2.7x |
| construction_sand_and gravel |
0.8200 |
9.95 |
12.1x |
2.7x |
| diatomite |
26.0 |
326.0 |
12.5x |
2.6x |
| boron |
91.2 |
1,150 |
12.6x |
2.6x |
| wollastonite |
28.0 |
360.0 |
12.9x |
2.5x |
| phosphate |
5.71 |
75.4 |
13.2x |
2.5x |
| copper |
476.0 |
6,320 |
13.3x |
2.5x |
| magnesium-compounds |
75.0 |
1,008 |
13.4x |
2.4x |
| arsenic |
167.5 |
2,380 |
14.2x |
2.3x |
| sand-industrial |
2.06 |
29.5 |
14.3x |
2.3x |
| tellurium |
3,860 |
56,100 |
14.5x |
2.2x |
| manganese |
70.6 |
1,110 |
15.7x |
2.1x |
| salt |
3.97 |
62.5 |
15.7x |
2.1x |
| iron-steel-slag |
1.44 |
25.7 |
17.8x |
1.8x |
| iron_ore |
4.99 |
91.3 |
18.3x |
1.8x |
| titanium-minerals |
11.2 |
217.0 |
19.4x |
1.7x |
| platinum |
1,750,000 |
35,400,000 |
20.2x |
1.6x |
| chromium |
74.0 |
1,730 |
23.4x |
1.4x |
| graphite |
52.7 |
1,240 |
23.5x |
1.4x |
| clays |
2.59 |
62.9 |
24.3x |
1.3x |
| zirconium |
51.5 |
1,400 |
27.2x |
1.2x |
| asbestos |
76.0 |
2,110 |
27.8x |
1.2x |
| silver |
23,800 |
661,000 |
27.8x |
1.2x |
| strontium |
41.4 |
1,520 |
36.7x |
0.9x |
| gold |
1,120,000 |
57,000,000 |
50.9x |
0.6x |
¶ Top 10: biggest purchasing power gains
| Commodity |
Price 1950 ($/t) |
Price 2020 ($/t) |
Price growth |
Purchasing power change |
| gemstones |
497,000,000 |
14,700,000 |
0.0x |
1101.6x |
| diamond |
16,600,000 |
1,060,000 |
0.1x |
510.2x |
| gallium |
3,000,000 |
596,000 |
0.2x |
164.0x |
| cadmium |
4,780 |
2,290 |
0.5x |
68.0x |
| titanium-metal |
11,000 |
11,500 |
1.0x |
31.2x |
| bismuth |
4,540 |
6,000 |
1.3x |
24.7x |
| sulfur |
17.8 |
24.6 |
1.4x |
23.6x |
| rare-earths |
3,540 |
5,130 |
1.4x |
22.5x |
| selenium |
6,060 |
14,700 |
2.4x |
13.4x |
| germanum |
397,000 |
1,050,000 |
2.6x |
12.3x |
¶ Bottom 10: smallest gains (or losses)
| Commodity |
Price 1950 ($/t) |
Price 2020 ($/t) |
Price growth |
Purchasing power change |
| titanium-minerals |
11.2 |
217.0 |
19.4x |
1.7x |
| platinum |
1,750,000 |
35,400,000 |
20.2x |
1.6x |
| chromium |
74.0 |
1,730 |
23.4x |
1.4x |
| graphite |
52.7 |
1,240 |
23.5x |
1.4x |
| clays |
2.59 |
62.9 |
24.3x |
1.3x |
| zirconium |
51.5 |
1,400 |
27.2x |
1.2x |
| asbestos |
76.0 |
2,110 |
27.8x |
1.2x |
| silver |
23,800 |
661,000 |
27.8x |
1.2x |
| strontium |
41.4 |
1,520 |
36.7x |
0.9x |
| gold |
1,120,000 |
57,000,000 |
50.9x |
0.6x |