Gold vs. the US dollar

How much US dollar it took to buy one ounce of gold then, and how much it takes today.

What the US dollar lost against gold in 20 years

85 %

One ounce cost US$ 586.00 in Oct 2006. Today it costs US$ 3,984.30.

Ago	Ounce then	Ounce today	×	Purchasing power lost
1 years (Oct 2025)	US$ 4,058.00	US$ 3,984.30	1.0×	−2 %
5 years (Oct 2021)	US$ 1,777.00	US$ 3,984.30	2.2×	55 %
10 years (Oct 2016)	US$ 1,267.00	US$ 3,984.30	3.1×	68 %
20 years (Oct 2006)	US$ 586.00	US$ 3,984.30	6.8×	85 %

"Purchasing power lost" = how much less gold the same amount of money buys today. Then: monthly average (World Bank and BIS). Today: current spot price. Does not include consumer-price inflation.

Updated: Oct 30, 2026 10:24 UTC

Other currencies

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