According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 542.10% higher in 2026 versus 1935 (a $617,993,324,694.56 difference in value).
Between 1935 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 2.06% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, apparel costing $114,000,000,000 in the year 1935 would cost $731,993,324,694.56 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.54% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1935: Pricing changed by 1.49%, which is below the average yearly change for apparel during the 1935-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1935 (2.55%), inflation for apparel was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $114,000,000,000 beginning in 1935. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1935 | $114,000,000,000.00 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $115,269,714,920.40 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $120,573,676,416.14 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $120,619,400,222.14 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $118,653,276,564.24 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $119,659,200,296.19 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $125,191,780,821.92 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $146,499,074,416.88 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $152,854,683,450.57 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $163,554,054,054.05 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $171,967,234,357.65 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $188,702,147,352.83 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $218,696,964,087.38 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $233,237,134,394.67 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $224,046,649,389.12 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $221,028,878,193.26 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $241,010,181,414.29 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $238,403,924,472.42 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $236,895,038,874.49 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $236,026,286,560.53 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $235,294,705,664.57 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $240,049,981,488.34 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $244,165,124,028.14 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $245,125,323,954.09 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $247,045,723,806.00 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $250,749,352,091.82 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $252,715,475,749.72 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $254,132,913,735.65 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $257,242,132,543.50 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $259,436,875,231.40 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $261,905,960,755.28 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $268,947,426,878.93 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $279,921,140,318.40 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $294,872,824,879.67 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $311,836,356,904.85 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $324,684,746,390.23 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $335,201,221,769.71 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $342,151,240,281.38 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $354,679,563,124.77 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $380,970,751,573.49 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $397,934,283,598.67 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $412,840,244,353.94 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $431,312,661,977.05 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $446,447,241,762.31 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $466,017,030,729.36 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $498,983,894,853.76 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $522,760,273,972.60 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $536,477,415,771.94 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $549,737,319,511.29 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $559,842,280,636.80 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $576,257,126,990.00 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $581,149,574,231.77 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $606,709,181,784.52 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $633,046,094,039.24 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $650,649,759,348.39 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $680,827,471,306.92 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $706,204,183,635.69 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $723,579,229,914.85 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $733,364,124,398.37 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $731,946,686,412.44 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $724,036,467,974.82 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $722,619,029,988.89 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $728,928,915,216.59 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $729,889,115,142.54 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $720,378,563,495.00 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $710,959,459,459.46 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $698,293,965,198.07 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $680,507,404,664.94 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $663,223,805,997.78 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $660,800,444,279.90 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $655,907,997,038.13 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $655,405,035,172.16 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $652,926,347,649.02 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $652,425,214,735.28 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $658,851,695,668.27 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $655,696,295,816.36 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $670,003,731,951.13 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $692,795,677,526.84 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $699,087,730,470.20 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $699,652,419,474.27 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $690,808,978,156.24 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $691,592,684,191.04 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $689,215,046,279.16 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $689,447,780,451.68 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $680,653,720,844.13 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $647,880,725,657.16 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $663,869,426,138.47 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $697,273,867,086.26 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $716,466,434,653.83 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $721,426,553,128.47 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $722,364,348,389.49 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $731,993,324,694.56 | 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 |