According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 445.45% higher in 2026 versus 1930 (a $1,122,539,366.27 difference in value).
Between 1930 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.78% per year. In other words, apparel costing $252,000,000 in the year 1930 would cost $1,374,539,366.27 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 $252,000,000 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 | $252,000,000.00 | -1.28% |
| 1931 | $232,939,011.93 | -7.56% |
| 1932 | $204,862,691.65 | -12.05% |
| 1933 | $190,953,321.98 | -6.79% |
| 1934 | $210,935,356.98 | 10.46% |
| 1935 | $214,069,558.38 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $216,453,833.05 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $226,413,628.62 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $226,499,488.93 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $222,807,495.74 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $224,696,422.49 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $235,085,519.59 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $275,096,422.49 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $287,031,005.11 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $307,122,316.87 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $322,920,613.29 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $354,345,485.52 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $410,669,846.68 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $437,973,424.19 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $420,715,502.56 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $415,048,722.32 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $452,569,676.32 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $447,675,638.84 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $444,842,248.72 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $443,210,902.90 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $441,837,137.99 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $450,766,609.88 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $458,494,037.48 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $460,297,103.92 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $463,903,236.80 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $470,857,921.64 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $474,549,914.82 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $477,211,584.33 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $483,050,085.18 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $487,171,379.90 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $491,807,836.46 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $505,030,323.68 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $525,636,797.27 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $553,713,117.55 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $585,567,291.31 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $609,694,037.48 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $629,441,908.01 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $642,492,674.62 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $666,018,398.64 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $715,388,074.96 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $747,242,248.72 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $775,232,708.69 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $809,920,272.57 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $838,340,034.07 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $875,088,245.32 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $936,993,526.41 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $981,640,885.86 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $1,007,398,977.85 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $1,032,298,466.78 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $1,051,273,594.55 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $1,082,097,444.63 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $1,091,284,497.44 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $1,139,280,408.86 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $1,188,735,945.49 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $1,221,792,163.54 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $1,278,459,965.93 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $1,326,112,436.12 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $1,358,739,352.64 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $1,377,113,458.26 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $1,374,451,788.76 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $1,359,597,955.71 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $1,356,936,286.20 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $1,368,785,008.52 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $1,370,588,074.96 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $1,352,729,131.18 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $1,335,041,908.01 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $1,311,258,603.07 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $1,277,858,943.78 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $1,245,403,747.87 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $1,240,853,151.62 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $1,231,666,098.81 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $1,230,721,635.43 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $1,226,067,148.21 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $1,225,126,119.25 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $1,237,193,785.35 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $1,231,268,565.59 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $1,258,135,114.14 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $1,300,933,901.19 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $1,312,749,137.99 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $1,313,809,512.78 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $1,297,203,270.87 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $1,298,674,916.52 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $1,294,210,180.58 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $1,294,647,209.54 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $1,278,133,696.76 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $1,216,592,463.37 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $1,246,616,095.40 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $1,309,343,059.63 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $1,345,382,923.34 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $1,354,697,049.40 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $1,356,458,044.29 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $1,374,539,366.27 | 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 |