According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 445.94% higher in 2025 versus 1930 (a $42,809,916,897.51 difference in value).
Between 1930 and 2025: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.80% per year. In other words, apparel costing $9,600,000,000 in the year 1930 would cost $52,409,916,897.51 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.16% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1930: Pricing changed by -2.43%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for apparel during the 1930-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1930 (-2.65%), 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 | -2.43% |
| 1931 | $8,616,066,481.99 | -10.25% |
| 1932 | $7,658,725,761.77 | -11.11% |
| 1933 | $7,605,540,166.20 | -0.69% |
| 1934 | $8,243,767,313.02 | 8.39% |
| 1935 | $8,296,952,908.59 | 0.65% |
| 1936 | $8,390,027,700.83 | 1.12% |
| 1937 | $8,831,468,144.04 | 5.26% |
| 1938 | $8,719,778,393.35 | -1.26% |
| 1939 | $8,624,044,321.33 | -1.10% |
| 1940 | $8,701,543,332.01 | 0.90% |
| 1941 | $9,100,873,641.59 | 4.59% |
| 1942 | $10,650,415,512.47 | 17.03% |
| 1943 | $11,110,675,474.11 | 4.32% |
| 1944 | $11,890,049,009.16 | 7.01% |
| 1945 | $12,503,728,958.02 | 5.16% |
| 1946 | $13,718,815,256.77 | 9.72% |
| 1947 | $15,900,447,474.96 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $16,955,976,987.00 | 6.64% |
| 1949 | $16,287,065,842.74 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $16,069,209,460.90 | -1.34% |
| 1951 | $17,520,562,539.95 | 9.03% |
| 1952 | $17,333,390,155.55 | -1.07% |
| 1953 | $17,219,859,365.01 | -0.65% |
| 1954 | $17,161,559,769.87 | -0.34% |
| 1955 | $17,106,328,574.47 | -0.32% |
| 1956 | $17,449,989,345.83 | 2.01% |
| 1957 | $17,750,692,520.78 | 1.72% |
| 1958 | $17,818,197,315.15 | 0.38% |
| 1959 | $17,959,343,703.39 | 0.79% |
| 1960 | $18,229,362,880.89 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $18,373,577,668.87 | 0.79% |
| 1962 | $18,474,834,860.43 | 0.55% |
| 1963 | $18,701,896,441.51 | 1.23% |
| 1964 | $18,861,453,228.21 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $19,042,488,813.13 | 0.96% |
| 1966 | $19,551,843,170.68 | 2.67% |
| 1967 | $20,349,627,104.20 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $21,435,840,613.68 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $22,669,337,310.89 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $23,605,199,232.90 | 4.13% |
| 1971 | $24,369,230,769.23 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $24,872,448,327.30 | 2.06% |
| 1973 | $25,783,763,051.35 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $27,695,376,092.05 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $28,928,872,789.26 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $30,012,017,899.00 | 3.74% |
| 1977 | $31,355,976,987.00 | 4.48% |
| 1978 | $32,457,532,495.21 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $33,878,201,576.82 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $36,274,621,777.11 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $38,005,199,232.90 | 4.77% |
| 1982 | $39,002,429,149.80 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $39,965,906,669.51 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $40,702,322,608.14 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $41,892,861,708.93 | 2.92% |
| 1986 | $42,248,796,079.27 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $44,108,246,324.31 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $46,022,927,764.76 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $47,302,450,458.13 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $49,496,356,275.30 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $51,340,464,521.63 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $52,604,645,216.28 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $53,316,513,956.96 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $53,212,188,365.65 | -0.20% |
| 1995 | $52,638,397,613.47 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $52,534,072,022.16 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $52,994,331,983.81 | 0.88% |
| 1998 | $53,061,836,778.18 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $52,371,446,835.71 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $51,687,193,692.73 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $50,766,673,769.44 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $49,471,809,077.35 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $48,216,833,581.93 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $48,038,866,396.76 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $47,682,932,026.42 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $47,649,179,629.24 | -0.07% |
| 2007 | $47,467,438,312.38 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $47,431,016,407.42 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $47,898,210,952.48 | 0.98% |
| 2010 | $47,668,817,387.60 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $48,708,974,216.92 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $50,365,940,762.84 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $50,823,347,112.72 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $50,864,402,301.30 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $50,221,511,186.87 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $50,278,460,686.13 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $50,105,617,728.53 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $50,122,524,611.12 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $49,483,223,524.40 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $47,100,641,806.95 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $48,263,012,998.08 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $50,691,497,975.71 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $52,086,791,391.43 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $52,447,389,729.38 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $52,409,916,897.51 | -0.07%* |
* 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 | 1913 | 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 |
| CPI | 14.900 | 15.000 | 15.450 | 17.350 | 21.200 | 29.550 | 37.733 | 42.800 | 31.625 | 26.860 | 27.100 | 26.760 | 26.300 | 25.833 | 25.267 | 24.967 | 24.667 | 24.067 | 21.600 | 19.200 | 19.067 | 20.667 | 20.800 | 21.033 | 22.140 | 21.860 | 21.620 | 21.814 | 22.815 | 26.700 | 27.854 | 29.808 | 31.346 | 34.392 | 39.862 | 42.508 | 40.831 | 40.285 | 43.923 | 43.454 | 43.169 | 43.023 | 42.885 | 43.746 | 44.500 | 44.669 | 45.023 | 45.700 | 46.062 | 46.315 | 46.885 | 47.285 | 47.738 | 49.015 | 51.015 | 53.738 | 56.831 | 59.177 | 61.092 | 62.354 | 64.638 | 69.431 | 72.523 | 75.238 | 78.608 | 81.369 | 84.931 | 90.938 | 95.277 | 97.777 | 100.192 | 102.038 | 105.023 | 105.915 | 110.577 | 115.377 | 118.585 | 124.085 | 128.708 | 131.877 | 133.662 | 133.400 | 131.962 | 131.700 | 132.854 | 133.023 | 131.292 | 129.577 | 127.269 | 124.023 | 120.877 | 120.431 | 119.538 | 119.454 | 118.998 | 118.907 | 120.078 | 119.503 | 122.111 | 126.265 | 127.411 | 127.514 | 125.903 | 126.045 | 125.612 | 125.654 | 124.052 | 118.079 | 120.993 | 127.081 | 130.579 | 131.483 | 131.389 |