According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 445.94% higher in 2025 versus 1930 (a $7,549,197,152.17 difference in value).
Between 1930 and 2025: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.80% per year. In other words, apparel costing $1,692,885,618.87 in the year 1930 would cost $9,242,082,771.04 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 $1,692,885,618.87 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 | $1,692,885,618.87 | -2.43% |
| 1931 | $1,519,376,566.52 | -10.25% |
| 1932 | $1,350,556,948.02 | -11.11% |
| 1933 | $1,341,178,080.32 | -0.69% |
| 1934 | $1,453,724,492.66 | 8.39% |
| 1935 | $1,463,103,360.35 | 0.65% |
| 1936 | $1,479,516,378.82 | 1.12% |
| 1937 | $1,557,360,980.68 | 5.26% |
| 1938 | $1,537,665,358.52 | -1.26% |
| 1939 | $1,520,783,396.67 | -1.10% |
| 1940 | $1,534,449,746.74 | 0.90% |
| 1941 | $1,604,868,552.81 | 4.59% |
| 1942 | $1,878,118,255.84 | 17.03% |
| 1943 | $1,959,281,533.96 | 4.32% |
| 1944 | $2,096,718,018.26 | 7.01% |
| 1945 | $2,204,935,722.43 | 5.16% |
| 1946 | $2,419,206,776.68 | 9.72% |
| 1947 | $2,803,920,715.00 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $2,990,055,166.17 | 6.64% |
| 1949 | $2,872,097,868.62 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $2,833,680,583.64 | -1.34% |
| 1951 | $3,089,615,454.00 | 9.03% |
| 1952 | $3,056,609,054.23 | -1.07% |
| 1953 | $3,036,588,778.96 | -0.65% |
| 1954 | $3,026,308,097.06 | -0.34% |
| 1955 | $3,016,568,503.69 | -0.32% |
| 1956 | $3,077,170,418.02 | 2.01% |
| 1957 | $3,130,197,093.06 | 1.72% |
| 1958 | $3,142,101,040.52 | 0.38% |
| 1959 | $3,166,991,112.48 | 0.79% |
| 1960 | $3,214,606,902.31 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $3,240,038,062.79 | 0.79% |
| 1962 | $3,257,893,983.98 | 0.55% |
| 1963 | $3,297,934,534.52 | 1.23% |
| 1964 | $3,326,071,137.61 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $3,357,995,360.34 | 0.96% |
| 1966 | $3,447,816,054.80 | 2.67% |
| 1967 | $3,588,499,070.21 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $3,780,044,406.59 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $3,997,561,991.97 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $4,162,593,990.83 | 4.13% |
| 1971 | $4,297,325,032.52 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $4,386,063,549.93 | 2.06% |
| 1973 | $4,546,766,840.62 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $4,883,864,989.11 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $5,101,382,574.49 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $5,292,386,822.34 | 3.74% |
| 1977 | $5,529,383,594.47 | 4.48% |
| 1978 | $5,723,634,373.45 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $5,974,158,358.60 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $6,396,748,493.38 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $6,701,922,419.13 | 4.77% |
| 1982 | $6,877,776,188.41 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $7,047,677,983.95 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $7,177,539,228.95 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $7,387,481,575.04 | 2.92% |
| 1986 | $7,450,247,843.45 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $7,778,147,487.08 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $8,115,786,724.09 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $8,341,420,637.28 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $8,728,298,929.68 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $9,053,493,130.71 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $9,276,421,601.29 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $9,401,954,138.13 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $9,383,557,128.42 | -0.20% |
| 1995 | $9,282,373,575.02 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $9,263,976,565.31 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $9,345,139,843.44 | 0.88% |
| 1998 | $9,357,043,790.90 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $9,235,298,873.71 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $9,114,636,133.56 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $8,952,309,577.31 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $8,723,970,221.51 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $8,502,665,016.49 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $8,471,281,882.28 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $8,408,515,613.86 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $8,402,563,640.13 | -0.07% |
| 2007 | $8,370,514,967.04 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $8,364,092,246.30 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $8,446,478,384.49 | 0.98% |
| 2010 | $8,406,026,606.67 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $8,589,450,204.35 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $8,881,643,416.49 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $8,962,303,482.29 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $8,969,543,246.70 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $8,856,174,379.81 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $8,866,216,982.76 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $8,835,737,466.38 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $8,838,718,864.13 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $8,725,983,070.81 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $8,305,833,245.26 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $8,510,808,398.73 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $8,939,052,908.55 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $9,185,102,091.63 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $9,248,690,814.60 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $9,242,082,771.04 | -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 |