Gold Price in 1981
The gold price fell 32.6% in 1981, from $589.75 at the end of 1980 to $397.50. Its highest close was $599.20 on Jan 6, and its lowest $391.25 on Aug 4. The biggest one-day fall was −6.4% on Sep 28 and the biggest rise +4.2% on Apr 22. Adjusted for inflation, it lost 38.1%.
Gold Price, daily closes 1981
Numbers mark the events belowKey Events in 1981
What happened, and how the Gold moved — on the day (or the next trading day) and about a month later.
- 1
Tuesday, January 20Ronald Reagan is inaugurated; Iran releases the 52 US hostages. SourceGold: −0.8% that day · −11.6% a month later
- 2
Wednesday, April 22 From the dataBiggest one-day rise of the year: +4.2%.
- 3
Monday, September 28 From the dataBiggest one-day fall of the year: −6.4%.
Biggest days of 1981
| Best days | Worst days | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 22 | +4.2% | Sep 28 | −6.4% |
| Aug 12 | +4.1% | Jan 29 | −5.7% |
| Feb 4 | +3.9% | Mar 2 | −4.8% |
| Sep 21 | +3.7% | Jan 26 | −4.4% |
| Sep 10 | +3.6% | Apr 13 | −4.0% |
Volatility: 28.1% (annualised standard deviation of daily changes).
Month by month
| Month | Close | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | $506.50 | −14.1% |
| Feb | $489.00 | −3.5% |
| Mar | $513.75 | +5.1% |
| Apr | $482.70 | −6.0% |
| May | $479.20 | −0.7% |
| Jun | $426.00 | −11.1% |
| Jul | $406.00 | −4.7% |
| Aug | $425.00 | +4.7% |
| Sep | $428.75 | +0.9% |
| Oct | $427.00 | −0.4% |
| Nov | $414.50 | −2.9% |
| Dec | $397.50 | −4.1% |
Other Markets in 1981
Change over the calendar year.
| Market | Change | Year-end |
|---|---|---|
| Gold Price | −32.6% | $397.50 |
| Dow Jones Industrial Average in 1981 | −9.2% | 875.00 |
| S&P 500 in 1981 | −9.7% | 122.55 |
| Nasdaq Composite in 1981 | −3.2% | 195.84 |
| Silver in 1981 | −47.4% | $8.15 |
| US 10-year Treasury yield in 1981 | +1.55 pp | 13.98% |
Gold Price in 1981: FAQ
How much did the gold price fall in 1981?
The gold price fell 32.6% in 1981, from $589.75 at the end of 1980 to $397.50. Its highest close was $599.20 on Jan 6, and its lowest $391.25 on Aug 4. The biggest one-day fall was −6.4% on Sep 28 and the biggest rise +4.2% on Apr 22. Adjusted for inflation, it lost 38.1%.
What were the highest and lowest closes of the gold price in 1981?
Highest: $599.20 on January 6, 1981. Lowest: $391.25 on August 4, 1981. It closed higher on 116 of 249 trading days.
What happened to the gold price on January 20, 1981?
Ronald Reagan is inaugurated; Iran releases the 52 US hostages. The gold price fell 0.8% that day, and was −11.6% a month later.
Data: London PM fix (LBMA) from 1968 to Sep 2017, COMEX gold futures closes after that. Before 1968 the official US price: $20.67 until Oct 1933, $35 from 31 Jan 1934. Inflation: US CPI-U. Events marked "From the data" are found automatically from the closing prices; the others are researched, with the source linked. Not investment advice.
Cite this page
For essays, articles and research. Prices on this page update daily, so the citations include today's date as the date you accessed it.
@misc{corgano2026goldpricein1981, author = {{Corgano}}, title = {Gold Price in 1981}, howpublished = {\url{https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/gold/1981}}, year = {2026}, note = {Corgano Gold Price, accessed 2026-10-31}}