According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 430.55% higher in 2026 versus 1930 (a $34,017,981,179.64 difference in value).
Between 1930 and 2026: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.75% per year. In other words, apparel costing $7,901,104,000 in the year 1930 would cost $41,919,085,179.64 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 $7,901,104,000 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 | $7,901,104,000.00 | -1.28% |
| 1931 | $7,303,473,646.34 | -7.56% |
| 1932 | $6,423,180,287.56 | -12.05% |
| 1933 | $5,987,071,651.11 | -6.79% |
| 1934 | $6,613,580,129.97 | 10.46% |
| 1935 | $6,711,848,587.29 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $6,786,604,151.28 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $7,098,879,471.21 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $7,101,571,499.83 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $6,985,814,269.17 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $7,045,038,898.81 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $7,370,774,361.84 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $8,625,259,698.81 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $8,999,451,677.00 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $9,629,386,374.11 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $10,124,719,640.20 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $11,110,002,115.16 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $12,875,972,889.95 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $13,732,037,991.14 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $13,190,940,238.50 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $13,013,266,349.57 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $14,189,682,856.56 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $14,036,237,225.21 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $13,947,400,280.75 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $13,896,251,736.97 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $13,853,179,279.05 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $14,133,150,255.54 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $14,375,432,831.35 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $14,431,965,432.37 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $14,545,030,634.41 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $14,763,084,952.64 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $14,878,842,183.30 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $14,962,295,070.53 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $15,145,353,016.70 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $15,274,570,390.46 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $15,419,939,935.95 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $15,834,512,343.44 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $16,480,599,212.27 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $17,360,892,571.04 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $18,359,635,189.10 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $19,116,095,231.35 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $19,735,261,813.97 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $20,144,450,164.22 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $20,882,066,006.13 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $22,429,982,462.69 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $23,428,725,080.75 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $24,306,326,410.90 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $25,393,905,973.42 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $26,284,967,446.68 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $27,437,155,696.08 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $29,378,108,331.18 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $30,777,963,213.63 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $31,585,571,799.66 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $32,366,260,099.49 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $32,961,198,424.53 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $33,927,636,699.15 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $34,215,683,761.50 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $35,720,527,760.14 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $37,271,136,245.32 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $38,307,567,264.05 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $40,084,306,153.32 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $41,578,382,037.48 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $42,601,352,913.12 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $43,177,447,037.82 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $43,093,994,150.60 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $42,628,273,199.32 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $42,544,820,312.10 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $42,916,320,261.67 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $42,972,852,862.69 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $42,412,910,909.71 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $41,858,353,013.97 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $41,112,661,086.20 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $40,065,461,952.98 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $39,047,875,134.58 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $38,905,197,617.72 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $38,617,150,555.37 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $38,587,538,240.55 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $38,441,603,369.05 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $38,412,098,735.37 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $38,790,463,357.93 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $38,604,686,462.86 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $39,447,049,138.37 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $40,788,944,644.63 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $41,159,394,703.05 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $41,192,641,256.50 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $40,671,976,001.09 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $40,718,117,371.64 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $40,578,131,883.39 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $40,591,834,309.07 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $40,074,076,444.57 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $38,144,538,010.82 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $39,085,886,578.70 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $41,052,601,927.69 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $42,182,580,940.97 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $42,474,612,205.68 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $42,633,539,786.22 | 0.37% |
| 2026 | $41,919,085,179.64 | -1.68%* |
* 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 | 131.975 | 129.763 |