Lithium price today: latest reference levels
Lithium is priced as chemicals (battery-grade lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide) and as mineral concentrate (spodumene). The table collects the most recent published reference levels we could verify, each with its date and source. Snapshot compiled 4 October 2026.
| Price benchmark | Basis | Level | As of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lithium carbonate, battery grade | China domestic spot | 122,800 CNY/t | 30 Sep 2026 | Trading Economics |
| Lithium carbonate, battery grade | CIF Asia | US$19,750/t | 2 Sep 2026 | Benchmark Mineral Intelligence |
| Lithium hydroxide, battery grade | CIF Asia | US$18,750/t | 2 Sep 2026 | Benchmark Mineral Intelligence |
| Spodumene concentrate (6% Li2O) | FOB Australia | US$2,254/t | 2 Sep 2026 | Benchmark Mineral Intelligence |
| GFEX lithium carbonate futures, 2026 peak | Most-active contract | ≈210,000 CNY/t | mid-May 2026 | BigGo Finance / market reports |
| Lithium carbonate, annual average 2025 | US fixed contracts | US$9,000/t | 2025 average | USGS MCS 2026 |
In short: China's lithium carbonate price roughly doubled from its mid-2025 lows into a two-year high in May 2026, then slid through August and September 2026 as restarted Australian mines and a revision to Chinese inventory statistics eased supply worries. Trading Economics data showed the China price down about 22.5% over the month to 30 September 2026 but still about 67% higher than a year earlier. See lithium carbonate price, lithium hydroxide price and spodumene price for detail, and price per ton and per kg for unit conversions.
Lithium price history chart (annual averages)
The 2022 spike (about US$68,100/t on average) and the 2023–2025 slump (about US$9,000/t in 2025) are the defining features of the last decade. Full table, monthly context and what drove each move: lithium price history.
Live chart: Albemarle (NYSE: ALB)
Albemarle is one of the largest lithium chemical producers, and its share price is often used as a liquid, real-time proxy for lithium market sentiment. It is not a lithium price. Use the symbol search in the chart to switch to any other listed company.
Lithium ETFs
Major lithium producers
Ownership, assets and output of each company: lithium producers and lithium production by country.
Developers, miners and battery makers
What the live charts show
Charts are TradingView widgets of listed lithium companies, ETFs and related markets. Quotes may be delayed by the exchange. They move with lithium prices but also with company results, currencies and the wider stock market.
Where lithium prices come from
The industry prices contracts off assessments from Fastmarkets, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, S&P Global Platts and SMM, plus Guangzhou lithium carbonate futures and CME lithium hydroxide futures. See lithium futures.
Supply and demand
The USGS estimates 2025 world mine production (excluding the US) at about 290,000 t of lithium and consumption at about 263,000 t, with batteries 88% of end use. Read lithium supply and demand.
Frequently asked questions
What is the price of lithium today?
There is no single live lithium price. As reference points: China's domestic battery-grade lithium carbonate price was about 122,800 yuan per tonne on 30 September 2026 (Trading Economics), and Benchmark Mineral Intelligence assessed battery-grade lithium carbonate at US$19,750 per tonne CIF Asia, lithium hydroxide at US$18,750 per tonne and 6% spodumene concentrate at US$2,254 per tonne FOB Australia on 2 September 2026.
Why is there no live lithium spot price chart on this page?
Lithium chemicals trade mostly through private contracts priced off assessments from paid price-reporting agencies. The exchange contracts that exist (Guangzhou Futures Exchange lithium carbonate, CME lithium hydroxide) are not available in free embeddable chart widgets, so the live charts here track listed lithium producers and ETFs, and the lithium price itself is shown as dated, sourced reference figures and annual history.
What unit is the lithium price quoted in?
Lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide are quoted per metric tonne of product (US dollars per tonne in seaborne markets, yuan per tonne including VAT in China; CME quotes US dollars per kilogram). Spodumene concentrate is quoted per tonne of concentrate, usually standardised to 6% Li2O. Lithium metal is a separate, much smaller market.
Why did lithium prices fall from 2023 to 2025 and recover in 2026?
After the 2022 spike, new mines in Australia, Africa, China and South America added supply faster than demand grew, and the USGS annual average US contract price fell from about US$68,100 per tonne in 2022 to about US$9,000 per tonne in 2025. Prices recovered in late 2025 and 2026 on strong electric-vehicle and battery energy storage demand plus supply disruptions; Guangzhou lithium carbonate futures reached a two-year high above 200,000 yuan per tonne in mid-May 2026 before falling back.
What is LCE?
LCE means lithium carbonate equivalent: the amount of lithium carbonate that would contain the same quantity of lithium. One tonne of lithium metal equals about 5.32 tonnes of LCE, and one tonne of lithium hydroxide monohydrate equals about 0.88 tonnes of LCE.
Lithium is not traded on a single public exchange like gold or oil. The figures on this site are dated reference points from the publishers named in each source list; they are not live quotes and are not investment advice. Paid price-reporting agencies (Fastmarkets, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, S&P Global Platts, SMM) publish the assessments the industry actually trades on.
Sources
- Trading Economics, Lithium (China lithium carbonate, CNY/t) (value for 30 September 2026)
- Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, lithium prices page (assessment of 2 September 2026)
- BigGo Finance, “China’s Lithium Carbonate Futures Tumble Below 140,000 Yuan as Inventory Data Overhaul Triggers Repricing” (10 September 2026)
- USGS, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Lithium (February 2026)
- USGS, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025: Lithium
- USGS, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2024: Lithium
- USGS, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2021: Lithium