According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 423.77% higher in 2026 versus 1929 (a $127,129,767,911.20 difference in value).
Between 1929 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.72% per year. In other words, apparel costing $30,000,000,000 in the year 1929 would cost $157,129,767,911.20 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.08% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1929: Pricing changed by -1.03%, which is below the average yearly change for apparel during the 1929-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1929 (0%), inflation for apparel was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $30,000,000,000 beginning in 1929. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1929 | $30,000,000,000.00 | -1.03% |
| 1930 | $29,616,548,940.46 | -1.28% |
| 1931 | $27,376,387,487.39 | -7.56% |
| 1932 | $24,076,690,211.91 | -12.05% |
| 1933 | $22,441,977,800.20 | -6.79% |
| 1934 | $24,790,386,203.10 | 10.46% |
| 1935 | $25,158,736,319.18 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $25,438,950,554.99 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $26,609,485,368.31 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $26,619,576,185.67 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $26,185,671,039.35 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $26,407,669,021.19 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $27,628,657,921.29 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $32,330,978,809.28 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $33,733,602,421.80 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $36,094,853,683.15 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $37,951,564,076.69 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $41,644,803,229.06 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $48,264,379,414.73 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $51,473,259,334.01 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $49,445,005,045.41 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $48,779,011,099.90 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $53,188,698,284.56 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $52,613,521,695.26 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $52,280,524,722.50 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $52,088,799,192.73 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $51,927,346,115.04 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $52,976,791,120.08 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $53,884,964,682.14 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $54,096,871,846.62 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $54,520,686,175.58 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $55,338,042,381.43 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $55,771,947,527.75 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $56,084,762,865.79 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $56,770,938,446.01 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $57,255,297,679.11 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $57,800,201,816.35 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $59,354,187,689.20 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $61,775,983,854.69 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $65,075,681,130.17 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $68,819,374,369.32 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $71,654,894,046.42 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $73,975,782,038.35 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $75,509,586,276.49 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $78,274,470,232.09 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $84,076,690,211.91 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $87,820,383,451.06 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $91,109,989,909.18 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $95,186,680,121.09 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $98,526,740,665.99 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $102,845,610,494.45 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $110,121,089,808.27 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $115,368,314,833.50 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $118,395,560,040.36 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $121,321,897,073.66 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $123,551,967,709.38 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $127,174,571,140.26 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $128,254,288,597.38 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $133,895,055,499.50 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $139,707,366,296.67 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $143,592,330,978.81 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $150,252,270,433.91 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $155,852,674,066.60 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $159,687,184,661.96 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $161,846,619,576.19 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $161,533,804,238.14 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $159,788,092,835.52 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $159,475,277,497.48 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $160,867,810,292.63 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $161,079,717,457.11 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $158,980,827,447.02 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $156,902,119,071.64 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $154,106,962,663.98 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $150,181,634,712.41 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $146,367,305,751.77 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $145,832,492,431.89 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $144,752,774,974.77 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $144,641,775,983.85 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $144,094,752,774.97 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $143,984,157,416.75 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $145,402,421,796.17 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $144,706,054,490.41 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $147,863,572,149.34 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $152,893,541,876.89 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $154,282,139,253.28 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $154,406,760,847.63 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $152,455,095,862.76 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $152,628,052,472.25 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $152,103,329,969.73 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $152,154,692,230.07 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $150,213,925,327.95 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $142,981,231,079.72 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $146,509,788,092.84 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $153,881,836,528.76 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $158,117,457,114.03 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $159,212,108,980.83 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $159,807,834,143.66 | 0.37% |
| 2026 | $157,129,767,911.20 | -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 |