Rare earth price hub
Rare earth prices: all 17 elements
Rare earth oxide prices span 1,010 times, from $1.00 per kg for lanthanum to $1,010 per kg for terbium (USGS 2025 averages). Four elements also have live metal reference prices below.
Reference prices as of 27 October 2026 · checked 28 October 2026
Rare earth price table
| Element | Metal reference, USD/kg 27 October 2026 | Oxide 2025 avg, USD/kg USGS | vs 2024 | Chinese export licence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scandium Sc neither group | no live price | $640 oxide 99.99%, 5–100 kg lots (2024: $660–670) | −3.76% | April 2025 list USGS: metal ingot $5,200 per kg; Sc-Al alloy $30 per kg |
| Yttrium Y heavy | no live price | $9.00 Y2O3 99.999% | +50% | April 2025 list USGS: metal $40 per kg in 2025 |
| Lanthanum La light | no live price | $1.00 oxide 99.5% | +3.09% | Not listed |
| Cerium Ce light | no live price | $1.71 oxide 99.5% | +41.32% | Not listed |
| Praseodymium Pr light | $182.21 | $74 oxide 99.99% | +32.14% | Not listed |
| Neodymium Nd light | $174.45 | $73 oxide 99.5%; NdPr oxide $69 | +30.36% | Not listed |
| PromethiumPm light | no live price | n/a no commercial market | n/a | No trade No stable isotope; not mined or traded in commercial quantities |
| Samarium Sm light | no live price | $2.82 oxide 99.5% | +40.30% | April 2025 list |
| Europium Eu light | no live price | $27 oxide 99.99% | 0% | October 2025 package (suspended) |
| Gadolinium Gd heavy | no live price | $30 oxide 99.99% | +7.14% | April 2025 list |
| Terbium Tb heavy | $4,593.75 | $1,010 oxide 99.99% | +24.38% | April 2025 list |
| Dysprosium Dy heavy | $2,166.15 | $239 oxide 99.5% | −7% | April 2025 list |
| Holmium Ho heavy | no live price | $70 oxide 99.5% | +4.48% | October 2025 package (suspended) |
| Erbium Er heavy | no live price | $46 oxide 99.5% | +6.98% | October 2025 package (suspended) |
| Thulium Tm heavy | no live price | n/a not reported by USGS | n/a | October 2025 package (suspended) |
| Ytterbium Yb heavy | no live price | $15 oxide 99.99% | +7.14% | October 2025 package (suspended) |
| Lutetium Lu heavy | no live price | $888 oxide 99.99% | +13.85% | April 2025 list |
Metal reference prices: supplier series for private investors, USD per kg of metal. Oxide averages: U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 (Argus Media, Asian Metal; FOB; Y and Sc as noted). The two columns are different forms in different channels, so they are context for each other, not a spread. Percentage change is calculated from USGS figures.
The rare earth price ladder
2025 oxide averages with bar length proportional to the logarithm of the price, so each doubling of length is a tenfold step in price. The ladder explains why the heavy rare earths, not neodymium, drive the licensing story.
- Terbium $1,010
- Lutetium $888
- Scandium $640
- Dysprosium $239
- Praseodymium $74
- Neodymium $73
- Holmium $70
- Erbium $46
- Gadolinium $30
- Europium $27
- Ytterbium $15
- Yttrium $9.00
- Samarium $2.82
- Cerium $1.71
- Lanthanum $1.00
- Light rare earth
- Heavy rare earth
- Scandium (neither group)
How to read rare earth prices
Oxide, metal and mixed products are different prices
Most rare earth trading is in separated oxides. Metal needs a further reduction step and trades in smaller lots, so metal prices run well above oxide. NdPr oxide, a mixed product of neodymium and praseodymium, averaged $69 per kg in 2025 against $73 for neodymium oxide and $74 for praseodymium oxide (USGS).
Light and heavy rare earths are different markets
The light elements (lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium) come from the bulk of every ore and sell at $1 to $74 per kg as oxide. The heavy elements (terbium to lutetium and yttrium) sit in small fractions of ore and sell at up to $1,010 per kg. China accounts for 69% of world mine output (270,000 of 390,000 tonnes of oxide equivalent in 2025) and the licensing that began on 4 April 2025 targets the medium and heavy group.
The supplier reference price sits above the oxide averages
Our dysprosium reference price of $2,166.15 per kg of metal compares with a 2025 USGS oxide average of $239. Nothing in the public data decomposes that gap, so each price page presents both without netting them. See methodology.
Rare earth prices: frequently asked questions
What is the price of rare earths per kilogram?
It depends on the element and the form. USGS 2025 oxide averages run from $1.00 per kg for lanthanum oxide to $1,010 per kg for terbium oxide. Our reference price for metal on 27 October 2026 is $174.45 for neodymium and $2,166.15 for dysprosium.
Which rare earth is the most expensive?
Among the elements with a published USGS price, terbium oxide at $1,010 per kg (2025 average) and lutetium oxide at $888 per kg lead. Among metals priced by our supplier, terbium at $4,594 per kg is the highest.
Why do rare earth prices differ so much between elements?
Abundance and demand. Cerium and lanthanum are the most abundant and cost about $1 to $2 per kg as oxide. Terbium, dysprosium and lutetium are scarce and cost $239 to $1,010 per kg as oxide, a spread of about 1010 times between terbium and lanthanum.
Which rare earths are under Chinese export controls?
Samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium and yttrium have needed a licence since 4 April 2025. A package covering holmium, erbium, thulium, europium and ytterbium was announced on 9 October 2025 and suspended for one year on 7 November 2025.
Is there a price for promethium or thulium?
No reliable one. Promethium has no stable isotope and no commercial market. USGS does not report a thulium price.
Sources
- U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Rare Earths — February 2026
- U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Rare Earths (Heavy)
- U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Scandium
- U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Yttrium
- China Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), Announcements 18, 55–58 and 70 of 2025 — check the original text for the current licence status