According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 205.92% higher in 2026 versus 1920 (a $302,708,759,793.62 difference in value).
Between 1920 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.06% per year. In other words, apparel costing $147,000,000,000 in the year 1920 would cost $449,708,759,793.62 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 2.67% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1920: Pricing changed by 28.26%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for apparel during the 1920-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1920 (15.63%), inflation for apparel was much higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $147,000,000,000 beginning in 1920. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | $147,000,000,000.00 | 28.26% |
| 1921 | $117,588,763,615.52 | -20.01% |
| 1922 | $91,548,442,575.96 | -22.15% |
| 1923 | $91,014,714,313.01 | -0.58% |
| 1924 | $90,621,440,856.11 | -0.43% |
| 1925 | $88,935,983,183.64 | -1.86% |
| 1926 | $87,671,889,929.29 | -1.42% |
| 1927 | $85,958,341,295.62 | -1.95% |
| 1928 | $84,385,247,467.99 | -1.83% |
| 1929 | $83,514,427,670.55 | -1.03% |
| 1930 | $82,446,971,144.66 | -1.28% |
| 1931 | $76,210,777,756.55 | -7.56% |
| 1932 | $67,025,033,441.62 | -12.05% |
| 1933 | $62,474,297,725.97 | -6.79% |
| 1934 | $69,011,830,516.13 | 10.46% |
| 1935 | $70,037,248,820.36 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $70,817,313,204.66 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $74,075,864,704.76 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $74,103,955,665.97 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $72,896,044,334.03 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $73,514,045,480.60 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $76,913,051,786.74 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $90,003,439,709.54 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $93,908,083,317.41 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $100,481,368,240.02 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $105,650,105,102.24 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $115,931,396,904.26 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $134,359,067,456.53 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $143,291,993,120.58 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $137,645,709,917.83 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $135,791,706,478.12 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $148,067,456,525.89 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $146,466,271,737.05 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $145,539,270,017.20 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $145,005,541,754.25 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $144,556,086,374.93 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $147,477,546,340.53 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $150,005,732,849.23 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $150,595,643,034.59 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $151,775,463,405.31 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $154,050,831,263.14 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $155,258,742,595.07 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $156,129,562,392.51 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $158,039,747,754.63 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $159,388,113,892.60 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $160,905,025,797.82 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $165,231,033,823.81 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $171,972,864,513.66 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $181,158,608,828.59 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $191,580,355,436.65 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $199,473,915,536.02 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $205,934,836,613.80 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $210,204,662,717.37 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $217,901,586,088.29 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $234,053,888,782.73 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $244,475,635,390.79 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $253,633,288,744.51 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $264,982,037,072.43 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $274,280,145,232.18 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $286,303,076,629.08 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $306,556,659,659.85 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $321,163,959,487.87 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $329,591,247,850.18 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $337,737,626,600.42 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $343,945,729,027.33 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $354,030,384,100.90 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $357,036,116,950.12 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $372,738,964,265.24 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $388,919,357,920.89 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $399,734,377,985.86 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $418,274,412,382.95 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $433,864,895,853.24 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $444,539,461,112.17 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $450,550,926,810.62 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $449,680,107,013.19 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $444,820,370,724.25 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $443,949,550,926.81 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $447,826,103,573.48 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $448,416,013,758.84 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $442,573,093,827.63 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $436,786,355,818.84 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $429,005,159,564.30 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $418,077,775,654.50 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $407,459,392,317.98 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $405,970,571,373.97 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $402,964,838,524.75 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $402,655,837,951.46 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $401,133,026,944.39 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $400,825,150,009.55 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $404,773,334,607.30 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $402,834,777,374.36 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $411,624,720,045.86 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $425,627,221,479.08 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $429,492,818,650.87 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $429,839,742,021.78 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $424,406,669,214.60 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $424,888,148,289.70 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $423,427,418,306.90 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $423,570,401,299.45 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $418,167,666,730.37 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $398,033,189,375.12 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $407,856,036,690.24 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $428,378,450,219.76 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $440,169,631,186.70 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $443,216,938,658.51 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $443,793,084,272.88 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $449,708,759,793.62 | 1.33%* |
* 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 | 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 | 2025 | 2026 |
| CPI | 15.000 | 15.050 | 15.792 | 18.258 | 23.000 | 34.000 | 43.608 | 34.883 | 27.158 | 27.000 | 26.883 | 26.383 | 26.008 | 25.500 | 25.033 | 24.775 | 24.458 | 22.608 | 19.883 | 18.533 | 20.473 | 20.777 | 21.008 | 21.975 | 21.983 | 21.625 | 21.808 | 22.817 | 26.700 | 27.858 | 29.808 | 31.342 | 34.392 | 39.858 | 42.508 | 40.833 | 40.283 | 43.925 | 43.450 | 43.175 | 43.017 | 42.883 | 43.750 | 44.500 | 44.675 | 45.025 | 45.700 | 46.058 | 46.317 | 46.883 | 47.283 | 47.733 | 49.017 | 51.017 | 53.742 | 56.833 | 59.175 | 61.092 | 62.358 | 64.642 | 69.433 | 72.525 | 75.242 | 78.608 | 81.367 | 84.933 | 90.942 | 95.275 | 97.775 | 100.192 | 102.033 | 105.025 | 105.917 | 110.575 | 115.375 | 118.583 | 124.083 | 128.708 | 131.875 | 133.658 | 133.400 | 131.958 | 131.700 | 132.850 | 133.025 | 131.292 | 129.575 | 127.267 | 124.025 | 120.875 | 120.433 | 119.542 | 119.450 | 118.998 | 118.907 | 120.078 | 119.503 | 122.111 | 126.265 | 127.411 | 127.514 | 125.902 | 126.045 | 125.612 | 125.654 | 124.052 | 118.079 | 120.993 | 127.081 | 130.579 | 131.483 | 131.654 | 133.409 |