According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 490.09% higher in 2026 versus 1931 (a $136,733,858,459.27 difference in value).
Between 1931 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.89% per year. In other words, apparel costing $27,900,000,000 in the year 1931 would cost $164,633,858,459.27 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.28% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1931: Pricing changed by -7.56%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for apparel during the 1931-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1931 (-8.93%), inflation for apparel was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $27,900,000,000 beginning in 1931. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1931 | $27,900,000,000.00 | -7.56% |
| 1932 | $24,537,191,301.14 | -12.05% |
| 1933 | $22,871,212,679.69 | -6.79% |
| 1934 | $25,264,537,747.55 | 10.46% |
| 1935 | $25,639,933,085.71 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $25,925,506,819.02 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $27,118,429,782.53 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $27,128,713,601.18 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $26,686,509,399.19 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $26,912,753,409.51 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $28,157,095,466.27 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $32,949,354,957.61 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $34,378,805,750.09 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $36,785,219,314.41 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $38,677,441,946.19 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $42,441,319,572.43 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $49,187,504,607.45 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $52,457,758,938.44 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $50,390,711,389.61 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $49,711,979,358.64 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $54,206,008,109.10 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $53,619,830,446.00 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $53,280,464,430.52 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $53,085,071,876.15 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $52,920,530,777.74 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $53,990,047,917.43 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $54,915,591,596.02 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $55,131,551,787.69 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $55,563,472,171.03 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $56,396,461,481.75 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $56,838,665,683.74 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $57,157,464,061.92 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $57,856,763,730.19 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $58,350,387,025.43 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $58,905,713,232.58 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $60,489,421,304.83 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $62,957,537,781.05 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $66,320,346,479.91 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $70,135,643,199.41 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $73,025,396,240.32 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $75,390,674,530.04 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $76,953,814,964.98 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $79,771,581,275.34 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $85,684,776,999.63 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $89,500,073,719.13 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $92,852,598,599.34 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $97,007,261,334.32 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $100,411,205,307.78 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $104,812,679,690.38 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $112,227,312,937.71 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $117,574,898,636.20 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $120,660,044,231.48 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $123,642,351,640.25 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $125,915,075,562.11 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $129,606,966,457.80 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $130,707,335,053.45 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $136,455,989,679.32 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $142,379,469,222.26 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $146,338,739,402.88 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $153,126,059,712.50 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $158,833,579,063.77 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $162,741,430,151.12 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $164,942,167,342.43 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $164,623,368,964.25 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $162,844,268,337.63 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $162,525,469,959.45 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $163,944,636,933.28 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $164,160,597,124.95 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $162,021,562,845.56 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $159,903,096,203.46 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $157,054,478,437.15 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $153,054,072,981.94 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $149,166,789,531.88 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $148,621,747,143.38 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $147,521,378,547.73 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $147,408,256,542.57 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $146,850,770,733.51 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $146,738,060,081.09 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $148,183,450,792.48 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $147,473,764,467.38 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $150,691,674,161.44 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $155,817,849,244.38 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $157,233,005,528.93 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $157,360,010,689.27 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $155,371,017,324.00 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $155,547,281,975.67 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $155,012,523,405.82 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $155,064,868,042.76 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $153,086,981,201.62 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $145,715,951,345.37 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $149,311,997,051.23 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $156,825,046,443.05 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $161,141,679,321.78 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $162,257,267,969.04 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $162,468,189,089.57 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $164,633,858,459.27 | 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 |