Germanium Prices
Today’s price of Germanium is $5,800.30 per kg.
Please note that the price presented is the retail price for private investors and is aligned with industry retail pricing. For bulk purchases, whether industry or investment, please contact us directly for a quotation.
Table: Germanium Historical Prices and Price Changes
| Date | Price | Change % to Today | Annual Change % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 17 2025 | $5,800.30 / kg | ||
| Jan 1 2025 | $4,120.80 / kg | +40.76% | |
| Jan 1 2024 | $2,839.40 / kg | +104.28% | +43.68% |
| Jan 1 2023 | $2,344.40 / kg | +147.41% | +21.11% |
| Jan 1 2022 | $2,293.80 / kg | +152.87% | +2.21% |
| Jan 1 2021 | $1,984.20 / kg | +192.32% | +15.60% |
| Jan 1 2020 | $2,045.09 / kg | +183.62% | -2.98% |
| Jan 1 2019 | $2,361.61 / kg | +145.61% | -13.40% |
| Jan 1 2018 | $1,845.17 / kg | +214.35% | +27.99% |
Germanium Historical Price Movement
When the cost of germanium today, $5,800.30 per kg, is compared to its price on January 1st 2024, $2,839.40 per kg, it surged +104.28%. The gain so far this year is +40.76%.
Compared to January 2023, germanium is up +147.41% and the increase since January 2020 ($2,045.09 / kg) is currently +183.62%. If we go back to January 1st 2018 when the price was even lower at $1,845.17 per kg, you notice prices have increased by +214.35%.
Germanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ge and atomic number 32. It is a grayish-white metalloid with a lustrous appearance and is hard and brittle.
To better understand how much we can expect to spend on germanium in the future, it helps to understand the uses of this rare metal and who produces it (click here to jump to the germanium forecast).
Germanium Uses
Germanium
A relatively rare element, germanium is a metal that has been used in a variety of applications throughout history.
In its purest form, germanium is used as a semiconductor in transistors and other electronic devices. Nowadays, just about every industry uses computers. And that increasingly means that nearly everything needs semiconductor chips and not just things we regard as electronic. Germanium is also alloyed with other metals to create strong, lightweight alloys that are used in aircraft construction.
In addition, germanium oxide is used as an infrared optical material and as a catalyst in the production of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Germanium isotopes are also used in nuclear medicine, and germanium-68 is particularly useful in PET scans.
For a long time germanium’s use has been essential in electronics such as in-phase memory chips, semiconductor & solar applications, infrared optics & detectors, camera & microscope lenses, glass in satellite systems & fire alarms, electric guitar amplifiers, LED production, various medical applications, and fibre optics to form the glass core of fibre optic cables.
With its wide range of applications, germanium plays an important role in today’s industry and technology.
Where is Germanium Produced?
Germanium is produced as a by-product of base metal refining, mostly from sphalerite zinc ores, fly ash coal (produced from coal power plants), and some copper ores. It isn’t mined as a primary material.
China dominates the refined germanium landscape. As of early 2025, it accounted for an estimated 82 % of global refined germanium output, with Canada and Russia trailing at around 11 % and 3 %, respectively. Other contributing sources include the U.S., Japan, and smaller players, but none come close to China’s overwhelming share.
What Determines the Price of Germanium?
The demand for the final products that use germanium determines the need for this unique metal. As noted, germanium plays a crucial role in today’s technology, especially fibre optics. So, for example, increased demand for high-speed internet worldwide would increase demand for germanium.
Although not extremely rare, germanium is ten times more expensive than silver because of the expense of getting it to 99.999% purity, the most commercially available grade. So the supply of germanium is constrained by the costly production process. As China dominates the production of germanium (over 93%!!), export quotas and geopolitical events also impact the germanium supply.
Now that we understand the factors that impact the demand and supply, we can better estimate where germanium prices are heading.
Germanium Price Forecast
1. Price Snapshot & Seasonality
As of September 2, 2025, the price of germanium stands at $5,800.30 per kg, marking a 40.76 % gain since January 1st of this year—on top of a whopping 104.28 % jump since January 1, 2024. Over the longer view, prices have more than tripled compared to 2018. It’s a classic super‑cycle unfolding in real time.
2. Supply Crunch & Geopolitical Pressure
China continues tightening its grip, with export bans that extend to germanium and gallium. For defense and high-tech industries, that’s a dagger to the supply line. One U.S. defense firm, for example, disclosed running down to its “safety stock” of germanium.
In response, Western industries are scrambling to fill the gap. Teck Resources, the biggest North American producer, is in talks with both Canada and the U.S. to ramp up germanium output from its Alaska zinc‑byproduct operations. Yet, scaling up takes time, a point underscored by ongoing shortages.
3. Demand Drivers: Technology on Overdrive
Germanium is no longer a niche material — it’s becoming indispensable across multiple high-growth industries:
Fiber optics & 5G networks – Germanium is critical for high-speed data transmission. In 2024, the Asia-Pacific region alone accounted for 43% of global germanium revenues, with fiber-optic applications making up 44% of that demand (Grand View Research – Germanium Market Report).
Defense & infrared optics – From night-vision devices to thermal cameras, germanium’s infrared properties make it a cornerstone for both autonomous vehicles and military systems.
Semiconductors & processors – Germanium boosts chip performance in advanced electronics and 5G infrastructure.
Solar power – Used in high-efficiency multi-junction solar cells, particularly for satellites and space technologies.
With demand expected to quadruple for fiber-optic applications over the next decade, and CAGR estimates of 4–5% globally through 2031, germanium is set to remain one of the most strategically critical technology metals on the planet.
4. Forecast Outlook & Strategic Positioning
Germanium is running hot and looks poised to stay that way through 2025 and beyond:
Supply-side tension remains elevated due to Chinese controls and lagging Western expansion.
Demand is structurally rising, driven by the growth of semiconductors, fiber optics, solar energy, defense contracts, and 5G infrastructure.
Geopolitics is increasingly a price catalyst, especially as CBMs (critical raw materials) become levers in U.S.-China strategic maneuvering.
This isn’t just a price rally, it’s a tectonic shift. Germanium is emerging from niche critical-metal status into strategic-metal stardom, ticking all the boxes: low supply elasticity, high irreplaceability, and geopolitical defiance.
How to Sell Germanium
The only end buyers for industrial-grade germanium (min. 99.999% purity) are industry buyers such as Ford, BMW, and Amcor Limited. These buyers will only purchase from reputable industry suppliers with the credentials to provide the complete chain of custody.
No commercial buyer will entertain a seller without the complete chain of custody, purity levels, analysis reports, and proper storage facilities. As an industry supplier, we can guarantee the safe and fast liquidation of the strategic metals of our investors.
How to Buy Germanium
Industry-grade germanium is sold at minimum 99.999% purity, priced in USD, and the weight unit is per kilogram. Hobbyists looking to buy small amounts of germanium can do so online at sites like Amazon, eBay, or Alibaba. However, there’s no guarantee of the purity and no possibility of liquidating to anyone other than hobbyists.
Corporate buyers such as IBM, General Motors, Mercedes, and Mouser Electronics only use reputable metal dealers to purchase industry-grade germanium. Reputable metals dealers act as the intermediaries between the high-tech industries and the producers of the vital raw materials for these industries.
Any serious investors who want to benefit from future germanium price raises by buying and owning this unique metal can do this through us. When you purchase with us, you buy from the only globally licensed industry supplier offering this option to private investors.
On the industrial side, suppliers with longevity and a stellar reputation like ourselves, have certain competitive advantages too, such as immediate availability of raw materials and “fair” prices.
It is also possible to trade germanium futures on the Shanghai Metal Market (SMM).
All prices on this page last updated Sep 17 2025.