MONTHLY PLATINUM / WORLD BANK / 1960–2026
How did platinum's monthly average and drawdown path change?
The price chart answers “what level did the monthly average reach?” The aligned underwater chart answers a different question: “how far was that month below the highest monthly average observed since this selected view began?”
SELECTED-RANGE UNDERWATER PATH
How far below the running monthly peak?
Zero marks a new high within the selected view. Negative readings show the percentage gap from that range's running peak, so changing the range can change the starting reference.
| Decade | Months | Low | Median | High | First-to-last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 41 | $840.00 | $1,264.00 | $2,052.00 | +16.5% |
| 2010s | 120 | $791.00 | $1,211.50 | $1,826.00 | -40.7% |
| 2020s | 79 | $754.00 | $979.00 | $2,434.00 | +64.3% |
Interpretation boundary: this is a latest-vintage monthly-average history, not a live or executable quote. It smooths intramonth paths and excludes product premiums, bid/ask spreads, storage, financing and taxes. Price percentiles, past volatility and drawdowns do not establish fair value or predict future returns.
THREE DIFFERENT QUESTIONS
Price level, monthly change and drawdown are not substitutes
Monthly average
Answers what nominal USD-per-ounce level the World Bank series averaged during one calendar month. It does not preserve that month's high, low or closing path.
Adjacent-month change
Compares one monthly average with the previous month's average. It is not a trade return unless a user could transact at those averages without costs.
Selected-range drawdown
Measures a month below the highest average seen since the chosen view began. It makes path damage visible but depends on the selected starting range.
WHY PLATINUM CAN MOVE DIFFERENTLY
Industrial exposure and concentrated supply complicate a simple precious-metal label
Platinum participates in jewelry and investment markets, but industrial and autocatalyst uses can make its demand path different from gold's. Mine supply is also geographically concentrated, while recycling, substitution among platinum-group metals, vehicle technology and currencies can alter the balance over time.
This page deliberately does not convert a low price, deep drawdown or old high into an “undervalued” claim. Establishing fair value would require a separate, sourced model of demand, supply, inventories, substitution, costs and market structure. The history here remains descriptive evidence.
METHOD AND LIMITS
One licensed monthly series, no silent frequency splice
GoldObserve retains the platinum column from the World Bank Commodity Price Data monthly workbook under CC BY 4.0. Observations are normalized as first-of-month ISO records, but each value represents a calendar-month average in nominal USD per troy ounce. The published workbook hash and normalized-record hash identify the retained version.
No daily provider history, dealer quote or futures series is inserted to fill the monthly archive. The World Bank can revise later workbook vintages, so the current page is latest-vintage evidence rather than a point-in-time backtest. Physical platinum premiums, bid/ask spreads, fabrication, storage, financing and taxes remain outside the chart.
RELATED RESEARCH
Use a different tool when the question changes
QUESTIONS
Platinum price history FAQ
How far back does this platinum price history go?
The retained World Bank Pink Sheet series contains monthly-average nominal USD platinum prices from January 1960 through July 2026. GoldObserve does not relabel it as daily history or splice it to a live quote.
Is the latest platinum value a live price?
No. It is the latest monthly average in the retained World Bank workbook vintage. A live spot reference, futures settlement, dealer ask and physical-product invoice answer different questions.
How is platinum drawdown calculated?
For each selected range, GoldObserve records the highest monthly average observed since that range began and measures the current month below that running peak. Changing the range can therefore change the starting peak reference.
Why can monthly platinum averages hide market stress?
A monthly average combines many observations and can smooth a sharp intramonth rise or fall. It is useful for long-run comparison but cannot reproduce a daily or intraday trading path.
Does a low historical percentile mean platinum is undervalued?
No. A percentile ranks nominal observations inside one selected sample. It does not adjust for inflation, supply costs, industrial demand, market structure or a model of fair value, and it does not predict a reversal.