Decade in Review

Gold Price in the 2010s

A decade of two halves: gold surged to a record near $1,920 in 2011, suffered a brutal crash in 2013, then found its feet again with a powerful 2019 breakout.

Gold price in the 2010s — yearly average, USD / oz2010–2019

$ 962$ 1,310$ 1,659$ 2,007

201020122014201620182019

The gold line is the yearly average price in US dollars per troy ounce through the 2010s; the shaded band shows each year’s high-to-low range. Figures are approximate annual values for educational analysis.

Decade Open$ 1,097.00

Decade Close$ 1,517.00

Decade Change+38.29%

High (2011)$ 1,920.00

Low (2015)$ 1,049.00

Best Year (2010)+27.70%

Every year in the 2010s

2019+18.30% ↑

Closed $ 1,517.00 · High $ 1,557.00 · Low $ 1,267.00Gold broke out above $1,500 in 2019, gaining about 18% as the Fed pivoted to rate cuts and the US-China trade war stoked recession fears.

2018-1.60% ↓

Closed $ 1,282.00 · High $ 1,360.00 · Low $ 1,178.00A choppy, slightly lower year: a strong dollar and four Fed rate hikes weighed on gold before a late-year stock-market slump revived it.

2017+13.10% ↑

Closed $ 1,303.00 · High $ 1,358.00 · Low $ 1,151.00Gold rose about 13% in 2017 on a weaker dollar and geopolitical tension, even as the Fed steadily raised rates.

2016+8.50% ↑

Closed $ 1,152.00 · High $ 1,375.00 · Low $ 1,073.00Gold staged its best first half in decades in 2016, surging on Brexit before giving back ground after the US election to finish up about 8%.

2015-10.40% ↓

Closed $ 1,060.00 · High $ 1,296.00 · Low $ 1,049.00Gold fell about 10% in 2015 to a multi-year low near $1,050 as the Fed prepared its first rate hike since 2006 and the dollar surged.

2014-1.50% ↓

Closed $ 1,184.00 · High $ 1,385.00 · Low $ 1,142.00Gold ended 2014 slightly lower after a strong start faded; a surging dollar and the end of the Fed’s QE program weighed on prices.

2013-28.00% ↓

Closed $ 1,205.00 · High $ 1,694.00 · Low $ 1,192.00Gold suffered its worst year in over three decades in 2013, plunging about 28% as the Fed signalled an end to easy money and ETF investors fled.

2012+5.70% ↑

Closed $ 1,675.00 · High $ 1,790.00 · Low $ 1,540.00Gold rose about 6% in 2012, its twelfth straight annual gain, as the Fed launched QE3 and Europe’s debt crisis rumbled on.

2011+10.10% ↑

Closed $ 1,565.00 · High $ 1,920.00 · Low $ 1,319.00Gold hit a record near $1,920 in 2011 amid the European debt crisis and the first-ever US credit downgrade — a peak that stood for nine years.

2010+27.70% ↑

Closed $ 1,405.00 · High $ 1,421.00 · Low $ 1,058.00Gold surged about 28% in 2010, breaking above $1,400 for the first time as the European debt crisis erupted and the Fed launched QE2.

Written & reviewed by Muhammad Salman Saleem

Founder & Editor · Prices are checked against the international spot benchmark and refreshed through the trading day. Educational information only — not financial advice.

Gold in the 2010s: the big picture

The 2010s opened at full gallop. The aftershocks of the financial crisis — near-zero interest rates, rounds of quantitative easing and Europe’s sovereign-debt crisis — drove gold to an all-time record near $1,920 an ounce in September 2011.

Then came the reckoning. As the crisis faded and the Federal Reserve signalled an end to easy money in 2013, gold suffered one of its worst years in decades, crashing below $1,200 as ETF investors fled. A grinding bear market followed, bottoming in late 2015.

The decade closed on a brighter note. In 2019 the Fed reversed course and cut rates as the US–China trade war stoked uncertainty, and gold broke decisively above $1,500 for the first time since 2013 — the launchpad for the historic run of the 2020s.

What drove gold in the 2010s

Post-crisis stimulus and Europe’s debt crisis drove the 2011 record near $1,920.
The 2013 crash below $1,200 as the Fed signalled tapering and ETF investors sold.
A multi-year bear market bottomed in late 2015.
The 2019 breakout above $1,500 as the Fed cut rates amid trade-war fears.

Gold in the 2010s: FAQ

What was the highest gold price in the 2010s?

Gold's high in the 2010s was about $ 1,920.00 per troy ounce, reached in 2011.

What was the lowest gold price in the 2010s?

Gold's low in the 2010s was about $ 1,049.00 per troy ounce, in 2015.

Did gold rise or fall over the 2010s?

Gold rose about 38% across the 2010s, from roughly $ 1,097.00 at the start to $ 1,517.00 at the end. Its best year was 2010 (+27.70%) and its worst was 2013 (-28.00%).

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Historical figures are approximate annual values shown for educational analysis and may differ from other sources. This is not financial advice — see our disclaimer.

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