What does one commodity buy of another, and is that high or low?
4 of 10 price ratios are in the highest or lowest tenth of their history in August 2026: gold to crude oil (49, higher than 98% of months); platinum to gold (0.40, higher than 2% of months); copper to gold (3.25, higher than 3% of months); aluminum to copper (0.23, higher than 0% of months).
A ratio between two prices says what a unit of one buys of the other, which removes the common moves (inflation, the dollar, a general commodity rally) and leaves the relative one. "Higher than X% of months" is the share of months since the series began in which the ratio was lower than today's. A ratio far from its history is a statement about the past, not a prediction that it will return: some ratios shift for good when a technology, a trade rule or a supply source changes. Only Pink Sheet series that may be redistributed are used, and the charts start in 1990 for page weight (the statistics use the full history). Click a heading to sort.
| Ratio | Latest | Higher than this share of months | Average | Last 10 years, low to high |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold to silver | 67 | 65% | 55 | 52 to 111 |
| Gold to crude oil | 49 | 98% | 20 | 15 to 72 |
| Platinum to gold | 0.40 | 2% | 1.47 | 0.30 to 0.82 |
| Copper to gold | 3.25 | 3% | 10 | 2.58 to 5.53 |
| Wheat to corn | 1.47 | 82% | 1.30 | 0.93 to 1.53 |
| Soybeans to corn | 2.15 | 33% | 2.31 | 1.82 to 2.81 |
| Urea to corn | 1.74 | 85% | 1.24 | 1.08 to 4.00 |
| Palm oil to coconut oil | 0.60 | 14% | 0.78 | 0.33 to 0.95 |
| Aluminum to copper | 0.23 | 0% | 0.57 | 0.23 to 0.35 |
| Lead to zinc | 0.48 | 13% | 0.76 | 0.48 to 0.91 |
Gold to silver
Ounces of silver per ounce of gold. August 2026: 67, against an average of 55 since 1960, a low of 16 (June 1968) and a high of 111 (April 2020). Today's ratio is higher than 65% of months. Read the two prices on their own pages: Gold and Silver.
Gold to crude oil
Barrels of oil per ounce of gold. August 2026: 49, against an average of 20 since 1960, a low of 6.68 (June 2008) and a high of 72 (April 2020). Today's ratio is higher than 98% of months. Read the two prices on their own pages: Gold and Crude oil.
Platinum to gold
Ounces of gold per ounce of platinum. August 2026: 0.40, against an average of 1.47 since 1960, a low of 0.30 (May 2025) and a high of 3.80 (December 1969). Today's ratio is higher than 2% of months. Read the two prices on their own pages: Platinum and Gold.
Copper to gold
Ounces of gold per tonne of copper. August 2026: 3.25, against an average of 10 since 1960, a low of 2.58 (February 2026) and a high of 54 (April 1966). Today's ratio is higher than 3% of months. Read the two prices on their own pages: Copper and Gold.
Wheat to corn
Tonnes of corn per tonne of wheat. August 2026: 1.47, against an average of 1.30 since 1960, a low of 0.89 (January 1970) and a high of 2.05 (September 2007). Today's ratio is higher than 82% of months. Read the two prices on their own pages: Wheat and Corn.
Soybeans to corn
Tonnes of corn per tonne of soybeans. August 2026: 2.15, against an average of 2.31 since 1960, a low of 1.56 (June 1996) and a high of 4.64 (June 1973). Today's ratio is higher than 33% of months. Read the two prices on their own pages: Soybeans and Corn.
Urea to corn
Tonnes of corn per tonne of urea. August 2026: 1.74, against an average of 1.24 since 1960, a low of 0.27 (January 1971) and a high of 4.00 (April 2026). Today's ratio is higher than 85% of months. Read the two prices on their own pages: Urea and Corn.
Palm oil to coconut oil
Tonnes of coconut oil per tonne of palm oil. August 2026: 0.60, against an average of 0.78 since 1960, a low of 0.33 (May 2025) and a high of 1.22 (August 1975). Today's ratio is higher than 14% of months. Read the two prices on their own pages: Palm oil and Coconut oil.
Aluminum to copper
Tonnes of copper per tonne of aluminum. August 2026: 0.23, against an average of 0.57 since 1960, a low of 0.23 (August 2026) and a high of 1.41 (June 1988). Today's ratio is higher than 0% of months. Read the two prices on their own pages: Aluminum and Copper.
Lead to zinc
Tonnes of zinc per tonne of lead. August 2026: 0.48, against an average of 0.76 since 1960, a low of 0.30 (June 2006) and a high of 1.87 (October 1979). Today's ratio is higher than 13% of months. Read the two prices on their own pages: Lead and Zinc.
World Bank Pink Sheet primary benchmark series, monthly averages; a ratio exists only for months in which both prices are reported. The four metal and energy ratios also appear, with their lowest and highest months, on linked prices and seasons; the figures agree because both divide the same monthly series.
More patterns
- Concentration:
- Producer or exporter?:
- Prices in real terms:
- Growth and decline:
- Linked prices and seasons:
- Reserves and mining:
- Supply concentration:
- Land or yield?:
- Supply shocks and prices:
- Category price indices:
- Drawdowns and volatility:
- Stocks and prices:
- Which prices follow oil?:
- How reliable is the data?:
- Net exporters and importers:
- Country leaders:
- Export dependency:
- Concentration over time:
- Import dependency:
- Supplier shifts:
- Trade price against benchmark:
- Prices in other currencies:
- Do prices lead each other?:
- Volatility over time:
- Seasonality:
- El Niño and prices:
- Who consumes it:
- Self-sufficiency:
- Trade flows:
Every figure is computed from the same tables as the commodity pages. The full set is in patterns.json, and single facts from it appear each day on the facts page.