Apparel priced at $1 in 1919 $1.13 in 1920

Apparel Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Apparel, 1919-1920 ($1)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel were 13.43% higher in 1920 versus 1919 (a $0.13 difference in value).

Between 1919 and 1920: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 13.43% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, apparel costing $1 in the year 1919 would cost $1.13 in 1920 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 15.62% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.

In the year 1919: Pricing changed by 27.69%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for apparel during the 1919-1920 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1919 (15.18%), inflation for apparel was much higher.

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%).

View price changes for other categories
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Buying power of $1.00 since 1919

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $1 beginning in 1919. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1919$1.0027.69%
1920$1.1313.43%
1921$0.84-26.11%
1922$0.71-15.07%
1923$0.720.89%
1924$0.71-1.25%
1925$0.70-1.72%
1926$0.68-1.77%
1927$0.67-2.19%
1928$0.66-1.19%
1929$0.65-1.20%
1930$0.64-2.43%
1931$0.57-10.25%
1932$0.51-11.11%
1933$0.51-0.69%
1934$0.558.39%
1935$0.550.65%
1936$0.561.12%
1937$0.595.26%
1938$0.58-1.26%
1939$0.57-1.10%
1940$0.580.90%
1941$0.604.59%
1942$0.7117.03%
1943$0.744.32%
1944$0.797.01%
1945$0.835.16%
1946$0.919.72%
1947$1.0615.90%
1948$1.136.64%
1949$1.08-3.94%
1950$1.07-1.34%
1951$1.169.03%
1952$1.15-1.07%
1953$1.14-0.65%
1954$1.14-0.34%
1955$1.14-0.32%
1956$1.162.01%
1957$1.181.72%
1958$1.180.38%
1959$1.190.79%
1960$1.211.50%
1961$1.220.79%
1962$1.230.55%
1963$1.241.23%
1964$1.250.85%
1965$1.270.96%
1966$1.302.67%
1967$1.354.08%
1968$1.425.34%
1969$1.515.75%
1970$1.574.13%
1971$1.623.24%
1972$1.652.06%
1973$1.713.66%
1974$1.847.41%
1975$1.924.45%
1976$1.993.74%
1977$2.084.48%
1978$2.163.51%
1979$2.254.38%
1980$2.417.07%
1981$2.534.77%
1982$2.592.62%
1983$2.662.47%
1984$2.701.84%
1985$2.782.92%
1986$2.810.85%
1987$2.934.40%
1988$3.064.34%
1989$3.142.78%
1990$3.294.64%
1991$3.413.73%
1992$3.492.46%
1993$3.541.35%
1994$3.54-0.20%
1995$3.50-1.08%
1996$3.49-0.20%
1997$3.520.88%
1998$3.530.13%
1999$3.48-1.30%
2000$3.43-1.31%
2001$3.37-1.78%
2002$3.29-2.55%
2003$3.20-2.54%
2004$3.19-0.37%
2005$3.17-0.74%
2006$3.17-0.07%
2007$3.15-0.38%
2008$3.15-0.08%
2009$3.180.98%
2010$3.17-0.48%
2011$3.242.18%
2012$3.353.40%
2013$3.380.91%
2014$3.380.08%
2015$3.34-1.26%
2016$3.340.11%
2017$3.33-0.34%
2018$3.330.03%
2019$3.29-1.28%
2020$3.13-4.81%
2021$3.212.47%
2022$3.375.03%
2023$3.462.75%
2024$3.44-0.47%*

* 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 1920 / CPI in 1919 * 1919 USD value = 1920 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Apparel was 37.733 in the year 1919 and 42.800 in 1920:

42.800 / 37.733 * $1 = $1.13

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $1 in 1919 has the same "purchasing power" as $1.13 in 1920 (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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