10-Year Treasury Yield in 1981

The US 10-year Treasury yield rose 1.55 percentage points in 1981, from 12.43% at the end of 1980 to 13.98%. Its highest close was 15.84% on Sep 30, and its lowest 12.11% on Jan 6.

Change in 1981

+1.55 pp

12.43% → 13.98%

High

15.84%

Sep 30

Low

12.11%

Jan 6

Up days

132 of 249

longest run 8 up, 7 down

Record highs

closing records

10-Year Treasury Yield, daily closes 1981

Numbers mark the events below

Key Events in 1981

What happened, and how the 10Y yield moved — on the day (or the next trading day) and about a month later.

1
Tuesday, January 20

Ronald Reagan is inaugurated; Iran releases the 52 US hostages. Source

10Y yield: −0.14 pp that day · +0.45 pp a month later
2
Monday, April 6 From the data

10Y yield sets the first of 23 record closing highs this year, at 13.74%.
3
Wednesday, September 30

10-year Treasury yield closes at an all-time high of 15.84%. Source

10Y yield: +0.08 pp that day · −0.70 pp a month later

Month by month

Month	Close	Change	High	Low
Jan	12.68%	+0.25 pp	12.87%	12.11%
Feb	13.43%	+0.75 pp	13.65%	12.86%
Mar	13.13%	−0.30 pp	13.62%	12.58%
Apr	14.11%	+0.98 pp	14.11%	13.14%
May	13.50%	−0.61 pp	14.69%	13.50%
Jun	13.86%	+0.36 pp	13.86%	13.08%
Jul	14.67%	+0.81 pp	14.71%	13.81%
Aug	15.41%	+0.74 pp	15.41%	14.40%
Sep	15.84%	+0.43 pp	15.84%	14.78%
Oct	14.63%	−1.21 pp	15.75%	14.63%
Nov	13.13%	−1.50 pp	14.57%	12.92%
Dec	13.98%	+0.85 pp	14.17%	13.15%

Other Markets in 1981

Change over the calendar year.

Market	Change	Year-end
10-Year Treasury Yield	+1.55 pp	13.98%
Dow Jones Industrial Average in 1981	−9.2%	875.00
S&P 500 in 1981	−9.7%	122.55
Nasdaq Composite in 1981	−3.2%	195.84
Gold in 1981	−32.6%	$397.50
Silver in 1981	−47.4%	$8.15

1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989

10-Year Treasury Yield in 1981: FAQ

How much did the US 10-year Treasury yield rise in 1981?

The US 10-year Treasury yield rose 1.55 percentage points in 1981, from 12.43% at the end of 1980 to 13.98%. Its highest close was 15.84% on Sep 30, and its lowest 12.11% on Jan 6.

What were the highest and lowest closes of the US 10-year Treasury yield in 1981?

Highest: 15.84% on September 30, 1981. Lowest: 12.11% on January 6, 1981. It closed higher on 132 of 249 trading days.

What happened to the US 10-year Treasury yield on January 20, 1981?

Ronald Reagan is inaugurated; Iran releases the 52 US hostages. The US 10-year Treasury yield fell 0.14 percentage points that day, and was +0.45 pp a month later.

Did the US 10-year Treasury yield reach a record high in 1981?

Yes — 23 record closing highs, the last at 15.84% on September 30, 1981.

Data: 10-year constant-maturity Treasury yield (Federal Reserve H.15 via FRED). Inflation: US CPI-U. Events marked "From the data" are found automatically from the closing prices; the others are researched, with the source linked. Not investment advice.