According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 339.82% higher in 2024 versus 1918 (a $17,670.41 difference in value).
Between 1918 and 2024: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.41% per year. In other words, apparel costing $5,200 in the year 1918 would cost $22,870.41 in 2024 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 2.89% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1918: Pricing changed by 39.39%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for apparel during the 1918-2024 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1918 (17.34%), inflation for apparel was much higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $5,200 beginning in 1918. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
---|---|---|
1918 | $5,200.00 | 39.39% |
1919 | $6,640.05 | 27.69% |
1920 | $7,531.64 | 13.43% |
1921 | $5,565.14 | -26.11% |
1922 | $4,726.63 | -15.07% |
1923 | $4,768.87 | 0.89% |
1924 | $4,709.04 | -1.25% |
1925 | $4,628.09 | -1.72% |
1926 | $4,545.97 | -1.77% |
1927 | $4,446.25 | -2.19% |
1928 | $4,393.46 | -1.19% |
1929 | $4,340.67 | -1.20% |
1930 | $4,235.08 | -2.43% |
1931 | $3,801.02 | -10.25% |
1932 | $3,378.68 | -11.11% |
1933 | $3,355.22 | -0.69% |
1934 | $3,636.77 | 8.39% |
1935 | $3,660.24 | 0.65% |
1936 | $3,701.30 | 1.12% |
1937 | $3,896.04 | 5.26% |
1938 | $3,846.77 | -1.26% |
1939 | $3,804.53 | -1.10% |
1940 | $3,838.72 | 0.90% |
1941 | $4,014.89 | 4.59% |
1942 | $4,698.48 | 17.03% |
1943 | $4,901.52 | 4.32% |
1944 | $5,245.35 | 7.01% |
1945 | $5,516.07 | 5.16% |
1946 | $6,052.12 | 9.72% |
1947 | $7,014.55 | 15.90% |
1948 | $7,480.20 | 6.64% |
1949 | $7,185.11 | -3.94% |
1950 | $7,089.00 | -1.34% |
1951 | $7,729.27 | 9.03% |
1952 | $7,646.70 | -1.07% |
1953 | $7,596.62 | -0.65% |
1954 | $7,570.90 | -0.34% |
1955 | $7,546.53 | -0.32% |
1956 | $7,698.14 | 2.01% |
1957 | $7,830.80 | 1.72% |
1958 | $7,860.58 | 0.38% |
1959 | $7,922.84 | 0.79% |
1960 | $8,041.96 | 1.50% |
1961 | $8,105.58 | 0.79% |
1962 | $8,150.25 | 0.55% |
1963 | $8,250.42 | 1.23% |
1964 | $8,320.81 | 0.85% |
1965 | $8,400.68 | 0.96% |
1966 | $8,625.38 | 2.67% |
1967 | $8,977.33 | 4.08% |
1968 | $9,456.51 | 5.34% |
1969 | $10,000.68 | 5.75% |
1970 | $10,413.54 | 4.13% |
1971 | $10,750.59 | 3.24% |
1972 | $10,972.59 | 2.06% |
1973 | $11,374.62 | 3.66% |
1974 | $12,217.94 | 7.41% |
1975 | $12,762.10 | 4.45% |
1976 | $13,239.93 | 3.74% |
1977 | $13,832.83 | 4.48% |
1978 | $14,318.78 | 3.51% |
1979 | $14,945.52 | 4.38% |
1980 | $16,002.71 | 7.07% |
1981 | $16,766.16 | 4.77% |
1982 | $17,206.09 | 2.62% |
1983 | $17,631.13 | 2.47% |
1984 | $17,956.01 | 1.84% |
1985 | $18,481.22 | 2.92% |
1986 | $18,638.24 | 0.85% |
1987 | $19,458.54 | 4.40% |
1988 | $20,303.21 | 4.34% |
1989 | $20,867.68 | 2.78% |
1990 | $21,835.53 | 4.64% |
1991 | $22,649.07 | 3.73% |
1992 | $23,206.77 | 2.46% |
1993 | $23,520.81 | 1.35% |
1994 | $23,474.79 | -0.20% |
1995 | $23,221.66 | -1.08% |
1996 | $23,175.63 | -0.20% |
1997 | $23,378.68 | 0.88% |
1998 | $23,408.46 | 0.13% |
1999 | $23,103.89 | -1.30% |
2000 | $22,802.03 | -1.31% |
2001 | $22,395.94 | -1.78% |
2002 | $21,824.70 | -2.55% |
2003 | $21,271.07 | -2.54% |
2004 | $21,192.55 | -0.37% |
2005 | $21,035.53 | -0.74% |
2006 | $21,020.64 | -0.07% |
2007 | $20,940.47 | -0.38% |
2008 | $20,924.40 | -0.08% |
2009 | $21,130.50 | 0.98% |
2010 | $21,029.31 | -0.48% |
2011 | $21,488.18 | 2.18% |
2012 | $22,219.15 | 3.40% |
2013 | $22,420.94 | 0.91% |
2014 | $22,439.05 | 0.08% |
2015 | $22,155.44 | -1.26% |
2016 | $22,180.56 | 0.11% |
2017 | $22,104.31 | -0.34% |
2018 | $22,111.77 | 0.03% |
2019 | $21,829.74 | -1.28% |
2020 | $20,778.65 | -4.81% |
2021 | $21,291.44 | 2.47% |
2022 | $22,362.77 | 5.03% |
2023 | $22,978.31 | 2.75% |
2024 | $22,870.41 | -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 | 129.966 |