Gold vs Coffee Since 1960
In September 2026 one ounce of gold bought 595 kg of coffee (monthly averages: gold $4,319 an ounce, coffee $7.26 per kg). That is very high by historical standards: higher than in 99% of months since 1960, against an average of 195. The record is 709 in February 2026; the low 21.3 in April 1977.
Kg of coffee per ounce of gold
Jan 1960–Sep 2026 · monthlyBy Decade
Average kg of coffee per ounce of gold in each decade.
| Decade | Average | vs today |
|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 40.3 | +1,377% |
| 1970s | 63.4 | +839% |
| 1980s | 141 | +321% |
| 1990s | 157 | +279% |
| 2000s | 233 | +155% |
| 2010s | 369 | +61% |
| 2020s to date | 444 | +34% |
Last 12 Months
World Bank monthly average prices and the ratio.
| Month | Gold | Coffee | Gold buys |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | 4,319 | 7.26 | 595 |
| Aug 2026 | 4,411 | 7.97 | 553 |
| Jul 2026 | 4,073 | 7.91 | 515 |
| Jun 2026 | 4,228 | 6.79 | 623 |
| May 2026 | 4,587 | 6.95 | 660 |
| Apr 2026 | 4,721 | 7.30 | 647 |
| Mar 2026 | 4,856 | 7.37 | 659 |
| Feb 2026 | 5,020 | 7.08 | 709 |
| Jan 2026 | 4,753 | 8.02 | 593 |
| Dec 2025 | 4,309 | 8.40 | 513 |
| Nov 2025 | 4,087 | 9.05 | 452 |
| Oct 2025 | 4,058 | 8.90 | 456 |
Year by year since 1960 (yearly averages)
| Year | Gold buys (average) |
|---|---|
| 2026 (9 months) | 617 |
| 2025 | 407 |
| 2024 | 429 |
| 2023 | 430 |
| 2022 | 322 |
| 2021 | 411 |
| 2020 | 533 |
| 2019 | 485 |
| 2018 | 434 |
| 2017 | 380 |
| 2016 | 347 |
| 2015 | 330 |
| 2014 | 291 |
| 2013 | 458 |
| 2012 | 412 |
| 2011 | 265 |
| 2010 | 287 |
| 2009 | 307 |
| 2008 | 284 |
| 2007 | 256 |
| 2006 | 241 |
| 2005 | 178 |
| 2004 | 232 |
| 2003 | 257 |
| 2002 | 230 |
| 2001 | 199 |
| 2000 | 148 |
| 1999 | 123 |
| 1998 | 101 |
| 1997 | 81.7 |
| 1996 | 144 |
| 1995 | 118 |
| 1994 | 134 |
| 1993 | 233 |
| 1992 | 247 |
| 1991 | 194 |
| 1990 | 195 |
| 1989 | 176 |
| 1988 | 144 |
| 1987 | 179 |
| 1986 | 89.0 |
| 1985 | 99.4 |
| 1984 | 113 |
| 1983 | 146 |
| 1982 | 122 |
| 1981 | 161 |
| 1980 | 182 |
| 1979 | 80.6 |
| 1978 | 55.3 |
| 1977 | 29.8 |
| 1976 | 42.3 |
| 1975 | 119 |
| 1974 | 111 |
| 1973 | 70.9 |
| 1972 | 52.2 |
| 1971 | 41.3 |
| 1970 | 31.4 |
| 1969 | 47.4 |
| 1968 | 44.9 |
| 1967 | 40.5 |
| 1966 | 37.8 |
| 1965 | 35.0 |
| 1964 | 34.7 |
| 1963 | 43.4 |
| 1962 | 42.0 |
| 1961 | 39.1 |
| 1960 | 37.9 |
Gold vs Coffee: FAQ
How much coffee does an ounce of gold buy?
In September 2026 one ounce of gold bought 595 kg of coffee, using World Bank monthly average prices. A year earlier it bought 415, ten years earlier 341.
What is the long-run average?
Since January 1960 the average is 195 kg of coffee per ounce of gold and the median 159. The latest figure is higher than in 99% of months.
When did gold buy the most coffee?
In February 2026, at 709 kg of coffee. The least was 21.3 in April 1977.
Does a high ratio mean gold is overvalued?
Not necessarily. The ratio shows the price of gold relative to coffee, and both prices have their own supply and demand. Over the decades the ratio has swung above and below its average, but there is no fixed level it must return to, and extremes can last for years.
Gold against other commodities
Source: World Bank Commodity Price Data (The Pink Sheet), monthly average prices in US dollars (file updated October 02, 2026), licensed CC BY 4.0. Ratios, averages, percentiles and decade figures are Corgano's calculations from those monthly averages. Gold was fixed at $35 an ounce until 1968–1971, so changes before then reflect the other commodity's price.
Cite this page
For essays, articles and research. Prices on this page update daily, so the citations include today's date as the date you accessed it.
@misc{corgano2026goldvscoffeesince, author = {{Corgano}}, title = {Gold vs Coffee Since 1960}, howpublished = {\url{https://goldprice.corgano.com/gold-vs-commodities/coffee}}, year = {2026}, note = {Corgano Gold Price, accessed 2026-10-26}}