According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 434.32% higher in 2026 versus 1930 (a $11,509,396,933.56 difference in value).
Between 1930 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.76% per year. In other words, apparel costing $2,650,000,000 in the year 1930 would cost $14,159,396,933.56 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 $2,650,000,000 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 | $2,650,000,000.00 | -1.28% |
| 1931 | $2,449,557,069.85 | -7.56% |
| 1932 | $2,154,310,051.11 | -12.05% |
| 1933 | $2,008,040,885.86 | -6.79% |
| 1934 | $2,218,169,428.53 | 10.46% |
| 1935 | $2,251,128,292.49 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $2,276,201,022.15 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $2,380,936,967.63 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $2,381,839,863.71 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $2,343,015,332.20 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $2,362,879,046.00 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $2,472,129,471.89 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $2,892,879,046.00 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $3,018,381,601.36 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $3,229,659,284.50 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $3,395,792,163.54 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $3,726,252,129.47 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $4,318,551,959.11 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $4,605,672,913.12 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $4,424,190,800.68 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $4,364,599,659.28 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $4,759,165,247.02 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $4,707,700,170.36 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $4,677,904,599.66 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $4,660,749,574.11 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $4,646,303,236.80 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $4,740,204,429.30 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $4,821,465,076.66 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $4,840,425,894.38 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $4,878,347,529.81 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $4,951,482,112.44 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $4,990,306,643.95 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $5,018,296,422.49 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $5,079,693,356.05 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $5,123,032,367.97 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $5,171,788,756.39 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $5,310,834,752.98 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $5,527,529,812.61 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $5,822,776,831.35 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $6,157,751,277.68 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $6,411,465,076.66 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $6,619,131,175.47 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $6,756,371,379.90 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $7,003,764,906.30 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $7,522,930,153.32 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $7,857,904,599.66 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $8,152,248,722.32 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $8,517,018,739.35 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $8,815,877,342.42 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $9,202,316,865.42 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $9,853,304,940.37 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $10,322,810,902.90 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $10,593,679,727.43 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $10,855,519,591.14 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $11,055,059,625.21 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $11,379,199,318.57 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $11,475,809,199.32 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $11,980,528,109.03 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $12,500,596,252.13 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $12,848,211,243.61 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $13,444,122,657.58 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $13,945,229,982.96 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $14,288,330,494.04 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $14,481,550,255.54 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $14,453,560,477.00 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $14,297,359,454.86 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $14,269,369,676.32 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $14,393,969,335.60 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $14,412,930,153.32 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $14,225,127,768.31 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $14,039,131,175.47 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $13,789,028,960.82 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $13,437,802,385.01 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $13,096,507,666.10 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $13,048,654,173.76 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $12,952,044,293.02 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $12,942,112,436.12 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $12,893,166,439.52 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $12,883,270,698.47 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $13,010,172,742.76 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $12,947,863,884.16 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $13,230,389,097.10 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $13,680,455,706.98 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $13,804,703,236.80 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $13,815,854,003.41 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $13,641,224,872.23 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $13,656,700,511.07 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $13,609,749,914.82 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $13,614,345,655.88 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $13,440,691,652.47 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $12,793,531,856.90 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $13,109,256,558.77 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $13,768,885,349.23 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $14,147,875,979.56 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $14,245,822,146.51 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $14,264,340,545.14 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $14,159,396,933.56 | -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 |