According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 445.45% higher in 2026 versus 1930 (a $16,481,728,790.46 difference in value).
Between 1930 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.78% per year. In other words, apparel costing $3,700,000,000 in the year 1930 would cost $20,181,728,790.46 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 $3,700,000,000 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 | $3,700,000,000.00 | -1.28% |
| 1931 | $3,420,136,286.20 | -7.56% |
| 1932 | $3,007,904,599.66 | -12.05% |
| 1933 | $2,803,679,727.43 | -6.79% |
| 1934 | $3,097,066,749.26 | 10.46% |
| 1935 | $3,143,084,785.74 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $3,178,091,993.19 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $3,324,327,086.88 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $3,325,587,734.24 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $3,271,379,897.79 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $3,299,114,139.69 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $3,451,652,470.19 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $4,039,114,139.69 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $4,214,344,122.66 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $4,509,335,604.77 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $4,741,294,718.91 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $5,202,691,652.47 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $6,029,676,320.27 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $6,430,562,180.58 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $6,177,172,061.33 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $6,093,969,335.60 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $6,644,872,231.69 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $6,573,015,332.20 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $6,531,413,969.34 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $6,507,461,669.51 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $6,487,291,311.75 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $6,618,398,637.14 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $6,731,856,899.49 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $6,758,330,494.04 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $6,811,277,683.13 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $6,913,390,119.25 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $6,967,597,955.71 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $7,006,678,023.85 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $7,092,402,044.29 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $7,152,913,117.55 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $7,220,988,074.96 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $7,415,127,768.31 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $7,717,683,134.58 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $8,129,914,821.12 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $8,597,614,991.48 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $8,951,856,899.49 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $9,241,805,792.16 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $9,433,424,190.80 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $9,778,841,567.29 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $10,503,713,798.98 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $10,971,413,969.34 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $11,382,385,008.52 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $11,891,686,541.74 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $12,308,960,817.72 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $12,848,517,887.56 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $13,757,444,633.73 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $14,412,981,260.65 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $14,791,175,468.48 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $15,156,763,202.73 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $15,435,366,269.17 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $15,887,938,671.21 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $16,022,827,938.67 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $16,727,529,812.61 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $17,453,662,691.65 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $17,939,011,925.04 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $18,771,039,182.28 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $19,470,698,466.78 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $19,949,744,463.37 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $20,219,522,998.30 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $20,180,442,930.15 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $19,962,350,936.97 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $19,923,270,868.82 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $20,097,240,204.43 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $20,123,713,798.98 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $19,861,499,148.21 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $19,601,805,792.16 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $19,252,606,473.59 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $18,762,214,650.77 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $18,285,689,948.89 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $18,218,875,638.84 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $18,083,986,371.38 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $18,070,119,250.43 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $18,001,779,557.07 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $17,987,962,862.01 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $18,165,146,848.38 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $18,078,149,574.11 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $18,472,618,739.35 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $19,101,013,628.62 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $19,274,491,311.75 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $19,290,060,306.64 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $19,046,238,500.85 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $19,067,845,996.59 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $19,002,292,333.90 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $19,008,709,028.96 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $18,766,248,722.32 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $17,862,667,120.95 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $18,303,490,289.61 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $19,224,481,431.01 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $19,753,638,160.14 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $19,890,393,185.69 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $19,916,249,063.03 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $20,181,728,790.46 | 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 |