According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 430.55% higher in 2026 versus 1930 (a $430,547,189,097.10 difference in value).
Between 1930 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.75% per year. In other words, apparel costing $100,000,000,000 in the year 1930 would cost $530,547,189,097.10 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.14% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1930: Pricing changed by -1.28%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for apparel during the 1930-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1930 (-2.67%), inflation for apparel was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $100,000,000,000 beginning in 1930. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1930 | $100,000,000,000.00 | -1.28% |
| 1931 | $92,436,115,843.27 | -7.56% |
| 1932 | $81,294,718,909.71 | -12.05% |
| 1933 | $75,775,127,768.31 | -6.79% |
| 1934 | $83,704,506,736.87 | 10.46% |
| 1935 | $84,948,237,452.50 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $85,894,378,194.21 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $89,846,678,023.85 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $89,880,749,574.11 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $88,415,672,913.12 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $89,165,247,018.74 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $93,287,904,599.66 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $109,165,247,018.74 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $113,901,192,504.26 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $121,873,935,264.05 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $128,143,100,511.07 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $140,613,287,904.60 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $162,964,224,872.23 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $173,798,977,853.49 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $166,950,596,252.13 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $164,701,873,935.26 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $179,591,141,396.93 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $177,649,063,032.37 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $176,524,701,873.94 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $175,877,342,419.08 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $175,332,197,614.99 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $178,875,638,841.57 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $181,942,078,364.57 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $182,657,580,919.93 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $184,088,586,030.66 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $186,848,381,601.36 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $188,313,458,262.35 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $189,369,676,320.27 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $191,686,541,737.65 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $193,321,976,149.91 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $195,161,839,863.71 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $200,408,858,603.07 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $208,586,030,664.40 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $219,727,427,597.96 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $232,367,972,742.76 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $241,942,078,364.57 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $249,778,534,923.34 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $254,957,410,562.18 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $264,293,015,332.20 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $283,884,156,729.13 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $296,524,701,873.94 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $307,632,027,257.24 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $321,396,933,560.48 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $332,674,616,695.06 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $347,257,240,204.43 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $371,822,827,938.67 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $389,540,034,071.55 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $399,761,499,148.21 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $409,642,248,722.32 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $417,172,061,328.79 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $429,403,747,870.53 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $433,049,403,747.87 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $452,095,400,340.72 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $471,720,613,287.90 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $484,838,160,136.29 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $507,325,383,304.94 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $526,235,093,696.76 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $539,182,282,793.87 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $546,473,594,548.55 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $545,417,376,490.63 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $539,522,998,296.42 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $538,466,780,238.50 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $543,168,654,173.76 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $543,884,156,729.13 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $536,797,274,275.98 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $529,778,534,923.34 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $520,340,715,502.56 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $507,086,882,453.15 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $494,207,836,456.56 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $492,402,044,293.02 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $488,756,388,415.67 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $488,381,601,362.86 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $486,534,582,623.51 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $486,161,158,432.71 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $490,949,914,821.12 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $488,598,637,137.99 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $499,259,965,928.45 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $516,243,611,584.33 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $520,932,197,614.99 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $521,352,981,260.65 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $514,763,202,725.72 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $515,347,189,097.10 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $513,575,468,483.82 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $513,748,892,674.62 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $507,195,911,413.97 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $482,774,787,052.81 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $494,688,926,746.17 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $519,580,579,216.35 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $533,882,112,436.12 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $537,578,194,207.84 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $539,589,654,638.38 | 0.37% |
| 2026 | $530,547,189,097.10 | -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 |