According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 445.45% higher in 2026 versus 1930 (a $42,763,404,429.30 difference in value).
Between 1930 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.78% per year. In other words, apparel costing $9,600,000,000 in the year 1930 would cost $52,363,404,429.30 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 $9,600,000,000 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 | $9,600,000,000.00 | -1.28% |
| 1931 | $8,873,867,120.95 | -7.56% |
| 1932 | $7,804,293,015.33 | -12.05% |
| 1933 | $7,274,412,265.76 | -6.79% |
| 1934 | $8,035,632,646.74 | 10.46% |
| 1935 | $8,155,030,795.44 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $8,245,860,306.64 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $8,625,281,090.29 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $8,628,551,959.11 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $8,487,904,599.66 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $8,559,863,713.80 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $8,955,638,841.57 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $10,479,863,713.80 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $10,934,514,480.41 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $11,699,897,785.35 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $12,301,737,649.06 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $13,498,875,638.84 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $15,644,565,587.73 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $16,684,701,873.94 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $16,027,257,240.20 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $15,811,379,897.79 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $17,240,749,574.11 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $17,054,310,051.11 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $16,946,371,379.90 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $16,884,224,872.23 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $16,831,890,971.04 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $17,172,061,328.79 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $17,466,439,523.00 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $17,535,127,768.31 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $17,672,504,258.94 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $17,937,444,633.73 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $18,078,091,993.19 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $18,179,488,926.75 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $18,401,908,006.81 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $18,558,909,710.39 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $18,735,536,626.92 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $19,239,250,425.89 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $20,024,258,943.78 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $21,093,833,049.40 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $22,307,325,383.30 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $23,226,439,523.00 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $23,978,739,352.64 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $24,475,911,413.97 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $25,372,129,471.89 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $27,252,879,046.00 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $28,466,371,379.90 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $29,532,674,616.70 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $30,854,105,621.81 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $31,936,763,202.73 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $33,336,695,059.63 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $35,694,991,482.11 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $37,395,843,270.87 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $38,377,103,918.23 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $39,325,655,877.34 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $40,048,517,887.56 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $41,222,759,795.57 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $41,572,742,759.80 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $43,401,158,432.71 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $45,285,178,875.64 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $46,544,463,373.08 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $48,703,236,797.27 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $50,518,568,994.89 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $51,761,499,148.21 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $52,461,465,076.66 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $52,360,068,143.10 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $51,794,207,836.46 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $51,692,810,902.90 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $52,144,190,800.68 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $52,212,879,046.00 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $51,532,538,330.49 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $50,858,739,352.64 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $49,952,708,688.25 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $48,680,340,715.50 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $47,443,952,299.83 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $47,270,596,252.13 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $46,920,613,287.90 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $46,884,633,730.83 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $46,707,319,931.86 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $46,671,471,209.54 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $47,131,191,822.83 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $46,905,469,165.25 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $47,928,956,729.13 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $49,559,386,712.10 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $50,009,490,971.04 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $50,049,886,201.02 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $49,417,267,461.67 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $49,473,330,153.32 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $49,303,244,974.45 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $49,319,893,696.76 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $48,690,807,495.74 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $46,346,379,557.07 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $47,490,136,967.63 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $49,879,735,604.77 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $51,252,682,793.87 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $51,607,506,643.95 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $51,674,592,163.54 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $52,363,404,429.30 | 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 |