According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 656.14% higher in 2024 versus 1916 (a $29,526.31 difference in value).
Between 1916 and 2024: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.89% per year. In other words, apparel costing $4,500 in the year 1916 would cost $34,026.31 in 2024 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.15% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1916: Pricing changed by 12.30%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for apparel during the 1916-2024 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1916 (7.69%), inflation for apparel was much higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $4,500 beginning in 1916. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
---|---|---|
1916 | $4,500.00 | 12.30% |
1917 | $5,498.56 | 22.19% |
1918 | $7,664.27 | 39.39% |
1919 | $9,786.74 | 27.69% |
1920 | $11,100.86 | 13.43% |
1921 | $8,202.45 | -26.11% |
1922 | $6,966.57 | -15.07% |
1923 | $7,028.82 | 0.89% |
1924 | $6,940.63 | -1.25% |
1925 | $6,821.33 | -1.72% |
1926 | $6,700.29 | -1.77% |
1927 | $6,553.31 | -2.19% |
1928 | $6,475.50 | -1.19% |
1929 | $6,397.69 | -1.20% |
1930 | $6,242.07 | -2.43% |
1931 | $5,602.31 | -10.25% |
1932 | $4,979.83 | -11.11% |
1933 | $4,945.24 | -0.69% |
1934 | $5,360.23 | 8.39% |
1935 | $5,394.81 | 0.65% |
1936 | $5,455.33 | 1.12% |
1937 | $5,742.36 | 5.26% |
1938 | $5,669.74 | -1.26% |
1939 | $5,607.49 | -1.10% |
1940 | $5,657.88 | 0.90% |
1941 | $5,917.53 | 4.59% |
1942 | $6,925.07 | 17.03% |
1943 | $7,224.34 | 4.32% |
1944 | $7,731.10 | 7.01% |
1945 | $8,130.13 | 5.16% |
1946 | $8,920.20 | 9.72% |
1947 | $10,338.73 | 15.90% |
1948 | $11,025.05 | 6.64% |
1949 | $10,590.11 | -3.94% |
1950 | $10,448.46 | -1.34% |
1951 | $11,392.15 | 9.03% |
1952 | $11,270.45 | -1.07% |
1953 | $11,196.63 | -0.65% |
1954 | $11,158.72 | -0.34% |
1955 | $11,122.81 | -0.32% |
1956 | $11,346.26 | 2.01% |
1957 | $11,541.79 | 1.72% |
1958 | $11,585.68 | 0.38% |
1959 | $11,677.46 | 0.79% |
1960 | $11,853.03 | 1.50% |
1961 | $11,946.80 | 0.79% |
1962 | $12,012.64 | 0.55% |
1963 | $12,160.27 | 1.23% |
1964 | $12,264.02 | 0.85% |
1965 | $12,381.73 | 0.96% |
1966 | $12,712.92 | 2.67% |
1967 | $13,231.66 | 4.08% |
1968 | $13,937.93 | 5.34% |
1969 | $14,739.97 | 5.75% |
1970 | $15,348.48 | 4.13% |
1971 | $15,845.27 | 3.24% |
1972 | $16,172.47 | 2.06% |
1973 | $16,765.02 | 3.66% |
1974 | $18,007.98 | 7.41% |
1975 | $18,810.02 | 4.45% |
1976 | $19,514.30 | 3.74% |
1977 | $20,388.16 | 4.48% |
1978 | $21,104.41 | 3.51% |
1979 | $22,028.15 | 4.38% |
1980 | $23,586.34 | 7.07% |
1981 | $24,711.59 | 4.77% |
1982 | $25,360.01 | 2.62% |
1983 | $25,986.48 | 2.47% |
1984 | $26,465.31 | 1.84% |
1985 | $27,239.41 | 2.92% |
1986 | $27,470.85 | 0.85% |
1987 | $28,679.89 | 4.40% |
1988 | $29,924.85 | 4.34% |
1989 | $30,756.82 | 2.78% |
1990 | $32,183.33 | 4.64% |
1991 | $33,382.40 | 3.73% |
1992 | $34,204.39 | 2.46% |
1993 | $34,667.26 | 1.35% |
1994 | $34,599.42 | -0.20% |
1995 | $34,226.34 | -1.08% |
1996 | $34,158.50 | -0.20% |
1997 | $34,457.77 | 0.88% |
1998 | $34,501.66 | 0.13% |
1999 | $34,052.76 | -1.30% |
2000 | $33,607.85 | -1.31% |
2001 | $33,009.31 | -1.78% |
2002 | $32,167.37 | -2.55% |
2003 | $31,351.36 | -2.54% |
2004 | $31,235.65 | -0.37% |
2005 | $31,004.21 | -0.74% |
2006 | $30,982.27 | -0.07% |
2007 | $30,864.09 | -0.38% |
2008 | $30,840.41 | -0.08% |
2009 | $31,144.19 | 0.98% |
2010 | $30,995.03 | -0.48% |
2011 | $31,671.36 | 2.18% |
2012 | $32,748.75 | 3.40% |
2013 | $33,046.16 | 0.91% |
2014 | $33,072.86 | 0.08% |
2015 | $32,654.84 | -1.26% |
2016 | $32,691.87 | 0.11% |
2017 | $32,579.48 | -0.34% |
2018 | $32,590.47 | 0.03% |
2019 | $32,174.79 | -1.28% |
2020 | $30,625.60 | -4.81% |
2021 | $31,381.39 | 2.47% |
2022 | $32,960.43 | 5.03% |
2023 | $33,867.67 | 2.75% |
2024 | $34,026.31 | 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:
Year | 1913 | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | 1919 | 1920 | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
CPI | 14.900 | 15.000 | 15.450 | 17.350 | 21.200 | 29.550 | 37.733 | 42.800 | 31.625 | 26.860 | 27.100 | 26.760 | 26.300 | 25.833 | 25.267 | 24.967 | 24.667 | 24.067 | 21.600 | 19.200 | 19.067 | 20.667 | 20.800 | 21.033 | 22.140 | 21.860 | 21.620 | 21.814 | 22.815 | 26.700 | 27.854 | 29.808 | 31.346 | 34.392 | 39.862 | 42.508 | 40.831 | 40.285 | 43.923 | 43.454 | 43.169 | 43.023 | 42.885 | 43.746 | 44.500 | 44.669 | 45.023 | 45.700 | 46.062 | 46.315 | 46.885 | 47.285 | 47.738 | 49.015 | 51.015 | 53.738 | 56.831 | 59.177 | 61.092 | 62.354 | 64.638 | 69.431 | 72.523 | 75.238 | 78.608 | 81.369 | 84.931 | 90.938 | 95.277 | 97.777 | 100.192 | 102.038 | 105.023 | 105.915 | 110.577 | 115.377 | 118.585 | 124.085 | 128.708 | 131.877 | 133.662 | 133.400 | 131.962 | 131.700 | 132.854 | 133.023 | 131.292 | 129.577 | 127.269 | 124.023 | 120.877 | 120.431 | 119.538 | 119.454 | 118.998 | 118.907 | 120.078 | 119.503 | 122.111 | 126.265 | 127.411 | 127.514 | 125.903 | 126.045 | 125.612 | 125.654 | 124.052 | 118.079 | 120.993 | 127.081 | 130.579 | 131.190 |