According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 445.45% higher in 2026 versus 1930 (a $509,361,689.94 difference in value).
Between 1930 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.78% per year. In other words, apparel costing $114,347,122 in the year 1930 would cost $623,708,811.94 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 $114,347,122 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 | $114,347,122.00 | -1.28% |
| 1931 | $105,698,038.16 | -7.56% |
| 1932 | $92,958,171.41 | -12.05% |
| 1933 | $86,646,677.79 | -6.79% |
| 1934 | $95,713,694.44 | 10.46% |
| 1935 | $97,135,864.72 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $98,217,749.42 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $102,737,090.53 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $102,776,050.37 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $101,100,777.37 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $101,957,893.79 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $106,672,034.08 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $124,827,318.19 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $130,242,735.55 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $139,359,337.44 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $146,527,947.48 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $160,787,247.87 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $186,344,901.03 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $198,734,129.24 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $190,903,201.98 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $188,331,852.73 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $205,357,301.55 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $203,136,590.84 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $201,850,916.21 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $201,110,679.31 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $200,487,321.91 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $204,539,144.97 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $208,045,530.32 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $208,863,686.90 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $210,500,000.06 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $213,655,746.86 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $215,331,019.86 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $216,538,774.81 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $219,188,043.74 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $221,058,115.92 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $223,161,947.13 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $229,161,762.05 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $238,512,122.96 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $251,251,989.70 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $265,706,089.28 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $276,653,803.52 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $285,614,566.06 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $291,536,461.30 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $302,211,456.68 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $324,613,363.03 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $339,067,462.61 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $351,768,369.52 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $367,508,143.72 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $380,403,849.82 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $397,078,660.11 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $425,168,702.69 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $445,427,818.00 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $457,115,769.14 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $468,414,121.91 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $477,024,245.92 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $491,010,827.45 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $495,179,530.02 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $516,958,078.98 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $539,398,945.18 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $554,398,482.47 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $580,111,974.98 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $601,734,684.60 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $616,539,422.71 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $624,876,827.86 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $623,669,072.90 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $616,929,021.08 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $615,721,266.13 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $621,097,723.65 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $621,915,880.23 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $613,812,234.11 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $605,786,507.66 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $594,994,632.77 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $579,839,256.12 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $565,112,437.69 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $563,047,566.32 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $558,878,863.74 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $558,450,305.54 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $556,338,292.76 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $555,911,292.95 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $561,387,098.06 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $558,698,479.70 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $570,889,402.34 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $590,309,712.36 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $595,670,975.54 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $596,152,129.53 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $588,616,907.43 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $589,284,679.04 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $587,258,767.51 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $587,457,073.08 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $579,963,927.60 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $552,039,074.74 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $565,662,550.59 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $594,125,438.80 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $610,478,830.44 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $614,705,193.58 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $615,504,259.84 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $623,708,811.94 | 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 |