According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 197.56% higher in 2026 versus 1920 (a $9,878,234,282.44 difference in value).
Between 1920 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.03% per year. In other words, apparel costing $5,000,000,000 in the year 1920 would cost $14,878,234,282.44 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 2.66% 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 $5,000,000,000 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 | $5,000,000,000.00 | 28.26% |
| 1921 | $3,999,617,810.05 | -20.01% |
| 1922 | $3,113,892,604.62 | -22.15% |
| 1923 | $3,095,738,582.08 | -0.58% |
| 1924 | $3,082,361,933.88 | -0.43% |
| 1925 | $3,025,033,441.62 | -1.86% |
| 1926 | $2,982,037,072.42 | -1.42% |
| 1927 | $2,923,753,105.29 | -1.95% |
| 1928 | $2,870,246,512.52 | -1.83% |
| 1929 | $2,840,626,791.52 | -1.03% |
| 1930 | $2,804,318,746.42 | -1.28% |
| 1931 | $2,592,203,325.05 | -7.56% |
| 1932 | $2,279,763,042.23 | -12.05% |
| 1933 | $2,124,976,113.13 | -6.79% |
| 1934 | $2,347,341,174.02 | 10.46% |
| 1935 | $2,382,219,347.63 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $2,408,752,149.82 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $2,519,587,234.86 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $2,520,542,709.73 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $2,479,457,290.27 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $2,500,477,737.44 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $2,616,090,196.83 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $3,061,341,486.72 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $3,194,152,493.79 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $3,417,733,613.61 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $3,593,540,989.87 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $3,943,244,792.66 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $4,570,036,308.05 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $4,873,877,317.03 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $4,681,826,867.95 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $4,618,765,526.47 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $5,036,308,045.10 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $4,981,845,977.45 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $4,950,315,306.71 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $4,932,161,284.16 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $4,916,873,686.22 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $5,016,243,072.81 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $5,102,235,811.20 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $5,122,300,783.49 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $5,162,430,728.07 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $5,239,824,192.62 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $5,280,909,612.08 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $5,310,529,333.08 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $5,375,501,624.31 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $5,421,364,418.12 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $5,472,960,061.15 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $5,620,103,191.29 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $5,849,417,160.33 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $6,161,857,443.15 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $6,516,338,620.29 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $6,784,827,059.05 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $7,004,586,279.38 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $7,149,818,459.77 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $7,411,618,574.43 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $7,961,016,625.26 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $8,315,497,802.41 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $8,626,982,610.36 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $9,012,994,458.25 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $9,329,256,640.55 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $9,738,199,885.34 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $10,427,097,267.34 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $10,923,944,200.27 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $11,210,586,661.57 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $11,487,674,374.16 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $11,698,834,320.66 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $12,041,849,799.35 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $12,144,085,610.55 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $12,678,196,063.44 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $13,228,549,589.15 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $13,596,407,414.49 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $14,227,020,829.35 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $14,757,309,382.76 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $15,120,389,833.75 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $15,324,861,456.14 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $15,295,241,735.14 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $15,129,944,582.46 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $15,100,324,861.46 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $15,232,180,393.66 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $15,252,245,365.95 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $15,053,506,592.78 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $14,856,678,769.35 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $14,592,012,230.08 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $14,220,332,505.26 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $13,859,163,004.01 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $13,808,522,835.85 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $13,706,287,024.65 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $13,695,776,801.07 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $13,643,980,508.31 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $13,633,508,503.73 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $13,767,800,496.85 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $13,701,863,176.00 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $14,000,840,817.89 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $14,477,116,376.84 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $14,608,599,273.84 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $14,620,399,388.50 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $14,435,600,993.69 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $14,451,977,832.98 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $14,402,293,139.69 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $14,407,156,506.78 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $14,223,390,024.84 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $13,538,543,856.30 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $13,872,654,309.19 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $14,570,695,585.71 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $14,971,756,162.81 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $15,075,406,076.82 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $15,131,813,838.75 | 0.37% |
| 2026 | $14,878,234,282.44 | -1.68%* |
* 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 | 131.975 | 129.763 |