According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 542.10% higher in 2026 versus 1935 (a $86,735,905,220.29 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 $16,000,000,000 in the year 1935 would cost $102,735,905,220.29 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 $16,000,000,000 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 | $16,000,000,000.00 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $16,178,205,602.86 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $16,922,621,251.39 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $16,929,038,627.67 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $16,653,091,447.61 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $16,794,273,725.78 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $17,570,776,255.71 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $20,561,273,602.37 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $21,453,288,905.34 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $22,954,954,954.95 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $24,135,752,190.55 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $26,484,511,909.17 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $30,694,310,749.11 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $32,735,036,406.27 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $31,445,143,773.91 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $31,021,596,939.41 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $33,825,990,373.94 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $33,460,199,925.95 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $33,248,426,508.70 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $33,126,496,359.37 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $33,023,818,338.89 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $33,691,225,472.05 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $34,268,789,337.28 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $34,403,554,239.17 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $34,673,084,042.95 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $35,192,891,521.66 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $35,468,838,701.72 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $35,667,777,366.41 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $36,104,158,953.47 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $36,412,193,014.93 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $36,758,731,334.07 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $37,747,007,281.25 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $39,287,177,588.55 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $41,385,659,632.23 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $43,766,506,232.26 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $45,569,788,967.05 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $47,045,785,511.54 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $48,021,226,706.16 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $49,779,587,806.99 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $53,469,579,168.21 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $55,850,425,768.23 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $57,942,490,435.64 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $60,535,110,452.92 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $62,659,262,001.73 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $65,405,899,049.73 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $70,032,827,347.90 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $73,369,863,013.70 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $75,295,075,897.82 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $77,156,115,019.13 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $78,574,355,177.09 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $80,878,193,261.75 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $81,564,852,523.76 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $85,152,165,864.49 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $88,848,574,602.00 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $91,319,264,469.95 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $95,554,732,815.01 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $99,116,376,650.62 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $101,554,979,637.17 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $102,928,298,161.17 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $102,729,359,496.48 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $101,619,153,399.98 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $101,420,214,735.28 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $102,305,812,661.98 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $102,440,577,563.87 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $101,105,763,297.54 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $99,783,783,783.78 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $98,006,170,554.12 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $95,509,811,181.04 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $93,084,042,947.06 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $92,743,922,004.20 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $92,057,262,742.19 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $91,986,671,603.11 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $91,638,785,634.95 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $91,568,451,190.92 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $92,470,413,427.13 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $92,027,550,290.02 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $94,035,611,501.91 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $97,234,481,056.40 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $98,117,576,206.34 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $98,196,830,803.41 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $96,955,646,057.02 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $97,065,639,886.46 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $96,731,936,319.88 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $96,764,600,765.15 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $95,530,346,785.14 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $90,930,628,162.41 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $93,174,656,300.14 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $97,862,998,889.30 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $100,556,692,582.99 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $101,252,849,561.89 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $101,384,469,949.40 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $102,735,905,220.29 | 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 |