Gold Price History · The Free-Float Era

2010

The Euro Crisis

As doubts about the euro mounted, gold became the haven of choice and pressed toward its record.

Average price
$1,225/oz
In 2025 dollars
$1,808/oz
Change on the year
+25.9%
After inflation
+23.9%

2010 in context · real value, 1990–2025

1990200020102020 $1,808
Inflation-adjusted to 2025 dollars. See all 768 years →

2010 was dominated by the European sovereign-debt crisis, as Greece and other peripheral economies threatened the very survival of the euro. With confidence in paper currencies shaken, gold drew safe-haven demand from around the world and climbed steadily toward record territory. A second round of US quantitative easing late in the year added fuel. The metal was now within sight of the $1,920 peak it would reach the following autumn.

Key events of 2010

  1. 2010-05-02

    Greek bailout

    The eurozone debt crisis erupts; gold draws heavy safe-haven demand.

What would $10,000 of gold in 2010 be worth today?

Run the numbers across gold, stocks, housing, and bonds — adjusted for inflation.

Calculate 2010 →

How gold did in 2010

Value at year-end of $10,000 invested on 1 January 2010.

Gold
$12,594 +25.9%
S&P 500 (total return)
$11,482 +14.8%
US housing
$9,588 −4.1%
Inflation (CPI)
$10,164 +1.6%

Annual-average basis. Gold: Officer & Williamson; S&P 500 & Treasuries: Damodaran (NYU); housing: Shiller; CPI: BLS. Methodology →

Related years

Sources. Gold price: Officer & Williamson, The Price of Gold, 1257–Present (annual average); inflation adjustment by US CPI (BLS / Officer & Williamson). Asset comparison from the calculator dataset. Figures are annual averages. Full methodology →