Explore how gold has performed as a hedge against inflation throughout history
Explore Data$3,373.88
per ounce
+2,328%
price increase
Outperforms
during high inflation
0.16
long-term correlation
Compare the historical performance of gold against the S&P 500 index during different economic periods
Examine how gold performed during significant inflation periods throughout history
Compare gold's performance against other commodities during inflation periods
$3,373.88/oz
Baseline for comparison
$30.25/oz
1 oz gold = 111.5 oz silver
$78.43/barrel
1 oz gold = 43.0 barrels
$4.58/bushel
1 oz gold = 736.2 bushels
$12.35/bushel
1 oz gold = 273.2 bushels
Calculate the value of goods based on changing gold prices
Loading...
Based on current gold-to-commodity ratio
Loading...
Change from 5 years ago
Loading...
In today's dollars
Explore our findings on gold's relationship with inflation
Gold has historically been viewed as a hedge against inflation and currency devaluation. Its physical nature and limited supply contribute to its stability as a long-term store of value.
During periods of high inflation, economic uncertainty, or geopolitical instability, gold tends to rise when confidence in other financial assets declines.
Gold reached its inflation-adjusted peak of about $3,300 in today's dollars in January 1980 during high inflation. During the 1970s, gold soared 35% annually during 8.8% inflation.
However, from 1980-1984, gold dropped 10% yearly despite 6.5% inflation, showing that the relationship isn't always consistent.
Over the long term, gold has a weak 0.16 correlation with inflation over 50 years. When inflation is greater than 3%, gold has returned 15% per year on average. When inflation is less than 3%, gold has returned just over 6% per year.