According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 434.32% higher in 2026 versus 1930 (a $8,580,125,118.91 difference in value).
Between 1930 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.76% per year. In other words, apparel costing $1,975,545,000 in the year 1930 would cost $10,555,670,118.91 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 $1,975,545,000 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 | $1,975,545,000.00 | -1.28% |
| 1931 | $1,826,117,064.74 | -7.56% |
| 1932 | $1,606,013,754.68 | -12.05% |
| 1933 | $1,496,971,747.87 | -6.79% |
| 1934 | $1,653,620,197.61 | 10.46% |
| 1935 | $1,678,190,657.58 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $1,696,882,093.70 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $1,774,961,555.37 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $1,775,634,654.17 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $1,746,691,405.45 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $1,761,499,579.22 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $1,842,944,534.92 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $2,156,608,579.22 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $2,250,169,313.46 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $2,407,674,434.41 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $2,531,524,614.99 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $2,777,878,778.53 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $3,219,431,596.25 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $3,433,477,017.04 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $3,298,184,156.73 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $3,253,759,635.43 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $3,547,903,814.31 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $3,509,537,182.28 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $3,487,324,921.64 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $3,474,536,044.29 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $3,463,766,463.37 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $3,533,768,739.35 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $3,594,347,632.03 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $3,608,482,706.98 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $3,636,752,856.90 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $3,691,273,860.31 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $3,720,217,109.03 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $3,741,083,172.06 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $3,786,853,890.97 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $3,819,162,633.73 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $3,855,509,969.34 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $3,959,167,185.69 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $4,120,710,899.49 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $4,340,814,209.54 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $4,590,533,867.12 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $4,779,674,632.03 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $4,934,487,357.75 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $5,036,798,376.49 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $5,221,227,449.74 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $5,608,259,264.05 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $5,857,978,921.64 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $6,077,409,132.88 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $6,349,341,051.11 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $6,572,136,756.39 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $6,860,223,046.00 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $7,345,527,286.20 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $7,695,538,666.10 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $7,897,468,308.35 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $8,092,666,962.52 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $8,241,421,798.98 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $8,483,064,270.87 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $8,555,085,843.27 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $8,931,348,076.66 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $9,319,052,989.78 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $9,578,196,030.66 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $10,022,441,243.61 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $10,396,011,081.77 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $10,651,788,628.62 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $10,795,831,773.42 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $10,774,965,710.39 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $10,658,519,616.70 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $10,637,653,553.66 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $10,730,541,189.10 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $10,744,676,264.05 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $10,604,671,712.10 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $10,466,013,357.75 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $10,279,564,988.07 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $10,017,729,551.96 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $9,763,298,202.73 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $9,727,623,965.93 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $9,655,602,393.53 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $9,648,198,306.64 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $9,611,709,620.29 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $9,604,332,457.36 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $9,698,936,494.75 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $9,652,485,946.05 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $9,863,105,293.90 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $10,198,624,856.47 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $10,291,249,983.37 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $10,299,562,753.65 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $10,169,378,713.29 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $10,180,915,626.85 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $10,145,914,488.86 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $10,149,340,561.79 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $10,019,883,468.14 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $9,537,433,166.88 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $9,772,802,357.89 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $10,264,548,153.68 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $10,547,081,378.13 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $10,620,099,136.76 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $10,633,904,393.30 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $10,555,670,118.91 | -0.74%* |
* 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 | 130.685 |