According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 619.83% higher in 2026 versus 1933 (a $2,944,192,670.86 difference in value).
Between 1933 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 2.15% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, apparel costing $475,000,000 in the year 1933 would cost $3,419,192,670.86 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.53% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1933: Pricing changed by -6.79%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for apparel during the 1933-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1933 (-5.19%), inflation for apparel was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $475,000,000 beginning in 1933. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1933 | $475,000,000.00 | -6.79% |
| 1934 | $524,705,689.99 | 10.46% |
| 1935 | $532,502,075.26 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $538,433,003.60 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $563,208,183.45 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $563,421,762.59 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $554,237,859.71 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $558,936,600.72 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $584,779,676.26 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $684,307,553.96 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $713,995,053.96 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $763,972,571.94 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $803,271,133.09 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $881,441,097.12 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $1,021,549,010.79 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $1,089,467,176.26 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $1,046,537,769.78 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $1,032,441,546.76 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $1,125,775,629.50 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $1,113,601,618.71 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $1,106,553,507.19 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $1,102,495,503.60 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $1,099,078,237.41 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $1,121,290,467.63 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $1,140,512,589.93 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $1,144,997,751.80 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $1,153,968,075.54 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $1,171,267,985.61 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $1,180,451,888.49 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $1,187,072,841.73 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $1,201,596,223.02 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $1,211,848,021.58 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $1,223,381,294.96 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $1,256,272,482.01 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $1,307,531,474.82 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $1,377,371,852.52 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $1,456,609,712.23 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $1,516,625,449.64 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $1,565,748,651.08 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $1,598,212,679.86 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $1,656,733,363.31 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $1,779,541,366.91 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $1,858,779,226.62 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $1,928,406,025.18 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $2,014,691,996.40 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $2,085,386,690.65 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $2,176,798,561.15 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $2,330,789,118.71 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $2,441,850,269.78 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $2,505,924,010.79 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $2,567,861,960.43 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $2,615,062,949.64 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $2,691,737,859.71 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $2,714,590,827.34 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $2,833,981,564.75 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $2,957,003,147.48 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $3,039,231,115.11 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $3,180,193,345.32 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $3,298,729,766.19 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $3,379,889,838.13 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $3,425,595,773.38 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $3,418,974,820.14 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $3,382,025,629.50 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $3,375,404,676.26 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $3,404,878,597.12 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $3,409,363,758.99 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $3,364,939,298.56 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $3,320,941,996.40 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $3,261,780,575.54 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $3,178,698,291.37 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $3,097,965,377.70 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $3,086,645,683.45 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $3,063,792,715.83 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $3,061,443,345.32 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $3,049,865,220.32 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $3,047,524,392.99 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $3,077,542,940.65 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $3,062,803,844.42 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $3,129,634,892.09 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $3,236,097,684.35 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $3,265,488,309.35 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $3,268,126,011.69 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $3,226,817,670.86 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $3,230,478,417.27 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $3,219,372,302.16 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $3,220,459,419.96 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $3,179,381,744.60 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $3,026,296,762.59 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $3,100,981,115.11 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $3,257,015,625.00 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $3,346,665,467.63 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $3,369,834,532.37 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $3,374,215,040.47 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $3,419,192,670.86 | 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 |