Indium Price Trend and Forecast 2026-2027

United States paid the most for indium in Q2 2026: USD 707.50/KG, up 8.5% from USD 652.00 in Q1.

Indium is a soft, silvery metal recovered almost entirely as a by-product of zinc mining and refining, which means primary supply cannot expand quickly no matter how strong demand runs. There is no dedicated indium mine of any real scale anywhere in the world.

The metal's defining use is indium tin oxide, the transparent conductive coating behind touchscreens, flat panel displays, and increasingly thin film photovoltaic cells, alongside a fast-growing role in semiconductor and 5G electronics manufacturing.

China dominates global refining and export volumes, and export licensing measures introduced in 2025 have added a persistent layer of supply friction on top of the underlying by-product supply constraint.

Comparing the four markets side by side, United States sat about 15% above China as Q2 closed. That kind of gap is common where import exposure and domestic production costs diverge as sharply as they do here.

Key Price Drivers

• Zinc mining and refining volumes, since indium supply is entirely tied to zinc by-product recovery
• China's export licensing policy, which has materially slowed shipment volumes since early 2025
• Display, touchscreen, and semiconductor manufacturing demand
• Growing AI infrastructure and advanced chip demand for indium-based materials

Indium Price Forecast for 2026

Expect continued upward pressure through H2 2026 as electronics, display, and semiconductor demand keeps outrunning by-product supply growth.

China's export licensing regime remains the key swing factor to watch, with any further tightening likely to widen the gap between Chinese domestic and Western benchmark pricing.

AI infrastructure buildout is adding a new demand vector on top of the established display and electronics base, reinforcing the tight supply picture.

On balance, the first half of 2026 brought a 8.9% increase average move across the 4 markets covered here, a trend that should persist through year end absent a material change in the underlying drivers.

For the Quarter Ending June 2026

Indium Prices Q2 2026:

• China: USD 612.99/KG
• United States: USD 707.50/KG
• Germany: USD 705.00/KG
• Japan: USD 695.00/KG

Indium Prices in China

In Q2 2026, China priced at USD 612.99/KG, up 10.0% from USD 557.13/KG the previous quarter, putting it the most affordable of the 4 markets tracked this quarter.

Why did the price of Indium change in Q2 2026 in China?

Domestic Chinese pricing surged as export licensing friction kept material inside the country while smelter output growth stayed limited, with China now sitting about 9.9% below the 4-region average this quarter.

Indium Prices in United States

United States reached USD 707.50/KG in Q2 2026, tight supply from constrained Chinese exports pushed Western benchmark, making it the priciest of the 4 markets tracked here this quarter.

Why did the price of Indium change in Q2 2026 in United States?

Tight supply from constrained Chinese exports pushed Western benchmark pricing higher again, tracking the same by-product supply constraint, which puts United States roughly 4.0% above the average across the 4 regions this report tracks.

Indium Prices in Germany

Germany rose 8.5% to USD 705.00/KG in Q2 2026, european buyers faced the same tightening global availability keeping, ranking it the 2nd most expensive among the 4 markets this report follows.

Why did the price of Indium change in Q2 2026 in Germany?

European buyers faced the same tightening global availability, keeping the region's benchmark closely aligned with the US, working out to Germany trading about 3.7% above this quarter's 4-region average.

Indium Prices in Japan

USD 695.00/KG. That is where Japan landed in Q2 2026, up 8.6% from USD 640.00/KG in Q1 2026, placing it the 3rd most expensive across the 4 regions covered in this report.

Why did the price of Indium change in Q2 2026 in Japan?

Strong domestic electronics and display manufacturing demand kept Japanese pricing firm alongside the broader global increase, leaving Japan running roughly 2.2% above the 4-region average for the quarter.

For the Quarter Ending March 2026

Indium Prices Q1 2026:

• China: USD 557.13/KG
• United States: USD 652.00/KG
• Germany: USD 650.00/KG
• Japan: USD 640.00/KG

Indium Prices in China

In Q1 2026, China priced at USD 557.13/KG, up 7.3% from USD 519.13/KG the previous quarter, putting it the most affordable of the 4 markets tracked this quarter.

Why did the price of Indium change in Q1 2026 in China?

Export licensing requirements introduced in 2025 continued to slow shipment volumes, tightening domestic availability even as the calendar turned, with China now sitting about 10.8% below the 4-region average this quarter.

Indium Prices in United States

United States reached USD 652.00/KG in Q1 2026, western buyers absorbed a steady early-year increase as global, making it the priciest of the 4 markets tracked here this quarter.

Why did the price of Indium change in Q1 2026 in United States?

Western buyers absorbed a steady early-year increase as global supply stayed constrained, which puts United States roughly 4.4% above the average across the 4 regions this report tracks.

Indium Prices in Germany

Germany rose 8.0% to USD 650.00/KG in Q1 2026, european demand held firm through the quarter tracking the, ranking it the 2nd most expensive among the 4 markets this report follows.

Why did the price of Indium change in Q1 2026 in Germany?

European demand held firm through the quarter, tracking the broader global tightening, working out to Germany trading about 4.0% above this quarter's 4-region average.

Indium Prices in Japan

USD 640.00/KG. That is where Japan landed in Q1 2026, up 8.3% from USD 590.88/KG in Q4 2025, placing it the 3rd most expensive across the 4 regions covered in this report.

Why did the price of Indium change in Q1 2026 in Japan?

Electronics sector restocking after the year-end period added early-quarter demand, leaving Japan running roughly 2.4% above the 4-region average for the quarter.

Quarterly Indium Price Trends

The global average climbed steadily across the window, from USD 460.75/KG in Q1 2025 to USD 680.12 by Q2 2026, a gain of 47.6% over six quarters.

What was Indium Price in 2025?

The global indium average moved steadily through 2025, opening near USD 460.75/KG in Q1 and closing the year at USD 578.97, a 25.7% increase.

Indium Prices in China in 2025

China prices moved from about USD 420.00/KG in Q1 2025 to USD 519.13 by Q4, up roughly 23.6%. That left China ranked 4 of 4 tracked markets heading into 2026.

Indium Prices in United States in 2025

United States prices moved from about USD 480.00/KG in Q1 2025 to USD 603.94 by Q4, up roughly 25.8%, placing United States 1 of 4 tracked markets as 2025 closed out.

Indium Prices in Germany in 2025

Germany prices moved from about USD 478.00/KG in Q1 2025 to USD 601.92 by Q4, up roughly 25.9%. Germany closed the year ranked 2 of the 4 markets this report tracks.

Indium Prices in Japan in 2025

Japan prices moved from about USD 465.00/KG in Q1 2025 to USD 590.88 by Q4, up roughly 27.1%, leaving Japan in 3 place among the 4 tracked markets heading into the new year.

How We Can Help

Expert Market Research: Your Source for Real-Time Indium Price Intelligence

We monitor indium markets across every region with meaningful production or consumption, connecting the price you see to the zinc concentrate and indium residues costs and demand conditions behind it. The result is a regularly updated view built from the ground up rather than a single static figure.

Our forecasts combine production capacity data with feedstock cost trends and regional demand signals, giving sourcing teams a defensible basis for budgeting and supplier negotiations beyond a single point estimate.

Get in touch with our analysts if you need a more detailed regional view, historical pricing beyond the six quarters shown here, or a sourcing analysis built specifically around your procurement footprint.