According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 445.94% higher in 2025 versus 1930 (a $695,661,149,584.49 difference in value).
Between 1930 and 2025: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.80% per year. In other words, apparel costing $156,000,000,000 in the year 1930 would cost $851,661,149,584.49 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.16% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1930: Pricing changed by -2.43%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for apparel during the 1930-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1930 (-2.65%), inflation for apparel was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $156,000,000,000 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 | $156,000,000,000.00 | -2.43% |
| 1931 | $140,011,080,332.41 | -10.25% |
| 1932 | $124,454,293,628.81 | -11.11% |
| 1933 | $123,590,027,700.83 | -0.69% |
| 1934 | $133,961,218,836.57 | 8.39% |
| 1935 | $134,825,484,764.54 | 0.65% |
| 1936 | $136,337,950,138.50 | 1.12% |
| 1937 | $143,511,357,340.72 | 5.26% |
| 1938 | $141,696,398,891.97 | -1.26% |
| 1939 | $140,140,720,221.61 | -1.10% |
| 1940 | $141,400,079,145.23 | 0.90% |
| 1941 | $147,889,196,675.90 | 4.59% |
| 1942 | $173,069,252,077.56 | 17.03% |
| 1943 | $180,548,476,454.29 | 4.32% |
| 1944 | $193,213,296,398.89 | 7.01% |
| 1945 | $203,185,595,567.87 | 5.16% |
| 1946 | $222,930,747,922.44 | 9.72% |
| 1947 | $258,382,271,468.14 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $275,534,626,038.78 | 6.64% |
| 1949 | $264,664,819,944.60 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $261,124,653,739.61 | -1.34% |
| 1951 | $284,709,141,274.24 | 9.03% |
| 1952 | $281,667,590,027.70 | -1.07% |
| 1953 | $279,822,714,681.44 | -0.65% |
| 1954 | $278,875,346,260.39 | -0.34% |
| 1955 | $277,977,839,335.18 | -0.32% |
| 1956 | $283,562,326,869.81 | 2.01% |
| 1957 | $288,448,753,462.60 | 1.72% |
| 1958 | $289,545,706,371.19 | 0.38% |
| 1959 | $291,839,335,180.06 | 0.79% |
| 1960 | $296,227,146,814.40 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $298,570,637,119.11 | 0.79% |
| 1962 | $300,216,066,481.99 | 0.55% |
| 1963 | $303,905,817,174.52 | 1.23% |
| 1964 | $306,498,614,958.45 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $309,440,443,213.30 | 0.96% |
| 1966 | $317,717,451,523.55 | 2.67% |
| 1967 | $330,681,440,443.21 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $348,332,409,972.30 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $368,376,731,301.94 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $383,584,487,534.63 | 4.13% |
| 1971 | $396,000,000,000.00 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $404,177,285,318.56 | 2.06% |
| 1973 | $418,986,149,584.49 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $450,049,861,495.84 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $470,094,182,825.48 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $487,695,290,858.73 | 3.74% |
| 1977 | $509,534,626,038.78 | 4.48% |
| 1978 | $527,434,903,047.09 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $550,520,775,623.27 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $589,462,603,878.12 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $617,584,487,534.63 | 4.77% |
| 1982 | $633,789,473,684.21 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $649,445,983,379.50 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $661,412,742,382.27 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $680,759,002,770.08 | 2.92% |
| 1986 | $686,542,936,288.09 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $716,759,002,770.08 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $747,872,576,177.29 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $768,664,819,944.60 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $804,315,789,473.68 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $834,282,548,476.45 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $854,825,484,764.54 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $866,393,351,800.55 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $864,698,060,941.83 | -0.20% |
| 1995 | $855,373,961,218.84 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $853,678,670,360.11 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $861,157,894,736.84 | 0.88% |
| 1998 | $862,254,847,645.43 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $851,036,011,080.33 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $839,916,897,506.93 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $824,958,448,753.46 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $803,916,897,506.93 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $783,523,545,706.37 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $780,631,578,947.37 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $774,847,645,429.36 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $774,299,168,975.07 | -0.07% |
| 2007 | $771,345,872,576.18 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $770,754,016,620.50 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $778,345,927,977.84 | 0.98% |
| 2010 | $774,618,282,548.48 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $791,520,831,024.93 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $818,446,537,396.12 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $825,879,390,581.72 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $826,546,537,396.12 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $816,099,556,786.70 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $817,024,986,149.58 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $814,216,288,088.64 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $814,491,024,930.75 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $804,102,382,271.47 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $765,385,429,362.88 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $784,273,961,218.84 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $823,736,842,105.26 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $846,410,360,110.80 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $852,270,083,102.49 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $851,661,149,584.49 | -0.07%* |
* 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 | 1913 | 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 |
| CPI | 14.900 | 15.000 | 15.450 | 17.350 | 21.200 | 29.550 | 37.733 | 42.800 | 31.625 | 26.860 | 27.100 | 26.760 | 26.300 | 25.833 | 25.267 | 24.967 | 24.667 | 24.067 | 21.600 | 19.200 | 19.067 | 20.667 | 20.800 | 21.033 | 22.140 | 21.860 | 21.620 | 21.814 | 22.815 | 26.700 | 27.854 | 29.808 | 31.346 | 34.392 | 39.862 | 42.508 | 40.831 | 40.285 | 43.923 | 43.454 | 43.169 | 43.023 | 42.885 | 43.746 | 44.500 | 44.669 | 45.023 | 45.700 | 46.062 | 46.315 | 46.885 | 47.285 | 47.738 | 49.015 | 51.015 | 53.738 | 56.831 | 59.177 | 61.092 | 62.354 | 64.638 | 69.431 | 72.523 | 75.238 | 78.608 | 81.369 | 84.931 | 90.938 | 95.277 | 97.777 | 100.192 | 102.038 | 105.023 | 105.915 | 110.577 | 115.377 | 118.585 | 124.085 | 128.708 | 131.877 | 133.662 | 133.400 | 131.962 | 131.700 | 132.854 | 133.023 | 131.292 | 129.577 | 127.269 | 124.023 | 120.877 | 120.431 | 119.538 | 119.454 | 118.998 | 118.907 | 120.078 | 119.503 | 122.111 | 126.265 | 127.411 | 127.514 | 125.903 | 126.045 | 125.612 | 125.654 | 124.052 | 118.079 | 120.993 | 127.081 | 130.579 | 131.483 | 131.389 |