According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 423.77% higher in 2026 versus 1929 (a $169,506,357,214.93 difference in value).
Between 1929 and 2026: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.72% per year. In other words, apparel costing $40,000,000,000 in the year 1929 would cost $209,506,357,214.93 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 $40,000,000,000 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 | $40,000,000,000.00 | -1.03% |
| 1930 | $39,488,731,920.62 | -1.28% |
| 1931 | $36,501,849,983.18 | -7.56% |
| 1932 | $32,102,253,615.88 | -12.05% |
| 1933 | $29,922,637,066.94 | -6.79% |
| 1934 | $33,053,848,270.80 | 10.46% |
| 1935 | $33,544,981,758.91 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $33,918,600,739.99 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $35,479,313,824.42 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $35,492,768,247.56 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $34,914,228,052.47 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $35,210,225,361.59 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $36,838,210,561.72 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $43,107,971,745.71 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $44,978,136,562.39 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $48,126,471,577.53 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $50,602,085,435.59 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $55,526,404,305.42 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $64,352,505,886.31 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $68,631,012,445.34 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $65,926,673,393.88 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $65,038,681,466.53 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $70,918,264,379.41 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $70,151,362,260.34 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $69,707,366,296.67 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $69,451,732,256.98 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $69,236,461,486.71 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $70,635,721,493.44 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $71,846,619,576.19 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $72,129,162,462.16 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $72,694,248,234.11 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $73,784,056,508.58 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $74,362,596,703.67 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $74,779,683,821.06 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $75,694,584,594.69 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $76,340,396,905.48 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $77,066,935,755.13 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $79,138,916,918.94 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $82,367,978,472.92 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $86,767,574,840.23 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $91,759,165,825.77 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $95,539,858,728.56 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $98,634,376,051.13 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $100,679,448,368.65 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $104,365,960,309.45 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $112,102,253,615.88 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $117,093,844,601.41 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $121,479,986,545.58 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $126,915,573,494.79 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $131,368,987,554.66 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $137,127,480,659.27 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $146,828,119,744.37 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $153,824,419,778.00 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $157,860,746,720.48 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $161,762,529,431.55 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $164,735,956,945.85 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $169,566,094,853.68 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $171,005,718,129.84 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $178,526,740,665.99 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $186,276,488,395.56 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $191,456,441,305.08 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $200,336,360,578.54 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $207,803,565,422.13 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $212,916,246,215.94 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $215,795,492,768.25 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $215,378,405,650.86 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $213,050,790,447.36 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $212,633,703,329.97 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $214,490,413,723.51 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $214,772,956,609.49 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $211,974,436,596.03 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $209,202,825,428.86 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $205,475,950,218.63 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $200,242,179,616.55 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $195,156,407,669.02 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $194,443,323,242.52 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $193,003,699,966.36 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $192,855,701,311.81 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $192,126,337,033.30 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $191,978,876,555.67 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $193,869,895,728.22 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $192,941,405,987.22 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $197,151,429,532.46 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $203,858,055,835.86 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $205,709,519,004.37 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $205,875,681,130.17 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $203,273,461,150.35 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $203,504,069,963.00 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $202,804,439,959.64 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $202,872,922,973.43 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $200,285,233,770.60 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $190,641,641,439.62 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $195,346,384,123.78 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $205,175,782,038.35 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $210,823,276,152.03 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $212,282,811,974.44 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $213,077,112,191.54 | 0.37% |
| 2026 | $209,506,357,214.93 | -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 |