Apparel priced at $3 in 1913 $25.30 in 2018

Apparel Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Apparel, 1913-2018 ($3)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel were 743.32% higher in 2018 versus 1913 (a $22.30 difference in value).

Between 1913 and 2018: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 2.05% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, apparel costing $3 in the year 1913 would cost $25.30 in 2018 for an equivalent purchase.

Price Inflation for Apparel since 1913

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1918 (39.39%), 1919 (27.69%), and 1921 (-26.11%).

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Buying power of $3.00 since 1913

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $3 beginning in 1913. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1913$3.00-
1914$3.020.67%
1915$3.113.00%
1916$3.4912.30%
1917$4.2722.19%
1918$5.9539.39%
1919$7.6027.69%
1920$8.6213.43%
1921$6.37-26.11%
1922$5.41-15.07%
1923$5.460.89%
1924$5.39-1.25%
1925$5.30-1.72%
1926$5.20-1.77%
1927$5.09-2.19%
1928$5.03-1.19%
1929$4.97-1.20%
1930$4.85-2.43%
1931$4.35-10.25%
1932$3.87-11.11%
1933$3.84-0.69%
1934$4.168.39%
1935$4.190.65%
1936$4.231.12%
1937$4.465.26%
1938$4.40-1.26%
1939$4.35-1.10%
1940$4.390.90%
1941$4.594.59%
1942$5.3817.03%
1943$5.614.32%
1944$6.007.01%
1945$6.315.16%
1946$6.929.72%
1947$8.0315.90%
1948$8.566.64%
1949$8.22-3.94%
1950$8.11-1.34%
1951$8.849.03%
1952$8.75-1.07%
1953$8.69-0.65%
1954$8.66-0.34%
1955$8.63-0.32%
1956$8.812.01%
1957$8.961.72%
1958$8.990.38%
1959$9.070.79%
1960$9.201.50%
1961$9.270.79%
1962$9.330.55%
1963$9.441.23%
1964$9.520.85%
1965$9.610.96%
1966$9.872.67%
1967$10.274.08%
1968$10.825.34%
1969$11.445.75%
1970$11.914.13%
1971$12.303.24%
1972$12.552.06%
1973$13.013.66%
1974$13.987.41%
1975$14.604.45%
1976$15.153.74%
1977$15.834.48%
1978$16.383.51%
1979$17.104.38%
1980$18.317.07%
1981$19.184.77%
1982$19.692.62%
1983$20.172.47%
1984$20.541.84%
1985$21.152.92%
1986$21.330.85%
1987$22.264.40%
1988$23.234.34%
1989$23.882.78%
1990$24.984.64%
1991$25.913.73%
1992$26.552.46%
1993$26.911.35%
1994$26.86-0.20%
1995$26.57-1.08%
1996$26.52-0.20%
1997$26.750.88%
1998$26.780.13%
1999$26.43-1.30%
2000$26.09-1.31%
2001$25.62-1.78%
2002$24.97-2.55%
2003$24.34-2.54%
2004$24.25-0.37%
2005$24.07-0.74%
2006$24.05-0.07%
2007$23.96-0.38%
2008$23.94-0.08%
2009$24.180.98%
2010$24.06-0.48%
2011$24.592.18%
2012$25.423.40%
2013$25.650.91%
2014$25.670.08%
2015$25.35-1.26%
2016$25.380.11%
2017$25.29-0.34%
2018$25.300.03%
2019$24.98-1.28%
2020$23.77-4.81%
2021$24.362.47%
2022$25.595.03%
2023$26.292.75%
2024$26.17-0.47%*

* Not final. See inflation summary for latest details.
** Extended periods of 0% inflation usually indicate incomplete underlying data. This can manifest as a sharp increase in inflation later on.


Raw Consumer Price Index data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for Apparel:

Year1913191419151916191719181919192019211922192319241925192619271928192919301931193219331934193519361937193819391940194119421943194419451946194719481949195019511952195319541955195619571958195919601961196219631964196519661967196819691970197119721973197419751976197719781979198019811982198319841985198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
CPI14.90015.00015.45017.35021.20029.55037.73342.80031.62526.86027.10026.76026.30025.83325.26724.96724.66724.06721.60019.20019.06720.66720.80021.03322.14021.86021.62021.81422.81526.70027.85429.80831.34634.39239.86242.50840.83140.28543.92343.45443.16943.02342.88543.74644.50044.66945.02345.70046.06246.31546.88547.28547.73849.01551.01553.73856.83159.17761.09262.35464.63869.43172.52375.23878.60881.36984.93190.93895.27797.777100.192102.038105.023105.915110.577115.377118.585124.085128.708131.877133.662133.400131.962131.700132.854133.023131.292129.577127.269124.023120.877120.431119.538119.454118.998118.907120.078119.503122.111126.265127.411127.514125.903126.045125.612125.654124.052118.079120.993127.081130.579129.966

Adjust apparel prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2018 / CPI in 1913 * 1913 USD value = 2018 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Apparel was 14.900 in the year 1913 and 125.654 in 2018:

125.654 / 14.900 * $3 = $25.30

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $3 in 1913 has the same "purchasing power" as $25.30 in 2018 (in the CPI category of Apparel).


Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Apparel in 1913. In addition to apparel, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.

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