According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 455.51% higher in 2026 versus 1930 (a $186,758,701,873.94 difference in value).
Between 1930 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.80% per year. In other words, apparel costing $41,000,000,000 in the year 1930 would cost $227,758,701,873.94 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.15% 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 $41,000,000,000 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 | $41,000,000,000.00 | -1.28% |
| 1931 | $37,898,807,495.74 | -7.56% |
| 1932 | $33,330,834,752.98 | -12.05% |
| 1933 | $31,067,802,385.01 | -6.79% |
| 1934 | $34,318,847,762.12 | 10.46% |
| 1935 | $34,828,777,355.52 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $35,216,695,059.63 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $36,837,137,989.78 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $36,851,107,325.38 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $36,250,425,894.38 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $36,557,751,277.68 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $38,248,040,885.86 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $44,757,751,277.68 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $46,699,488,926.75 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $49,968,313,458.26 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $52,538,671,209.54 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $57,651,448,040.89 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $66,815,332,197.62 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $71,257,580,919.93 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $68,449,744,463.37 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $67,527,768,313.46 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $73,632,367,972.74 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $72,836,115,843.27 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $72,375,127,768.31 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $72,109,710,391.82 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $71,886,201,022.15 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $73,339,011,925.04 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $74,596,252,129.47 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $74,889,608,177.17 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $75,476,320,272.57 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $76,607,836,456.56 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $77,208,517,887.56 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $77,641,567,291.31 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $78,591,482,112.44 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $79,262,010,221.47 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $80,016,354,344.12 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $82,167,632,027.26 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $85,520,272,572.40 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $90,088,245,315.16 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $95,270,868,824.53 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $99,196,252,129.47 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $102,409,199,318.57 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $104,532,538,330.49 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $108,360,136,286.20 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $116,392,504,258.94 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $121,575,127,768.31 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $126,129,131,175.47 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $131,772,742,759.80 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $136,396,592,844.97 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $142,375,468,483.82 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $152,447,359,454.86 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $159,711,413,969.34 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $163,902,214,650.77 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $167,953,321,976.15 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $171,040,545,144.80 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $176,055,536,626.92 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $177,550,255,536.63 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $185,359,114,139.69 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $193,405,451,448.04 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $198,783,645,655.88 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $208,003,407,155.03 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $215,756,388,415.67 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $221,064,735,945.49 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $224,054,173,764.91 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $223,621,124,361.16 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $221,204,429,301.53 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $220,771,379,897.79 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $222,699,148,211.24 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $222,992,504,258.94 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $220,086,882,453.15 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $217,209,199,318.57 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $213,339,693,356.05 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $207,905,621,805.79 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $202,625,212,947.19 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $201,884,838,160.14 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $200,390,119,250.43 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $200,236,456,558.77 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $199,479,178,875.64 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $199,326,074,957.41 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $201,289,465,076.66 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $200,325,441,226.58 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $204,696,586,030.66 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $211,659,880,749.57 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $213,582,201,022.15 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $213,754,722,316.87 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $211,052,913,117.55 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $211,292,347,529.81 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $210,565,942,078.36 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $210,637,045,996.59 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $207,950,323,679.73 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $197,937,662,691.65 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $202,822,459,965.93 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $213,028,037,478.71 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $218,891,666,098.81 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $220,407,059,625.21 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $220,693,570,698.47 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $227,758,701,873.94 | 3.20%* |
* 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 | 135.868 |