According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 550.40% higher in 2026 versus 1935 (a $1,029,247,030,729.36 difference in value).
Between 1935 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 2.08% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, apparel costing $187,000,000,000 in the year 1935 would cost $1,216,247,030,729.36 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.55% 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 $187,000,000,000 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 | $187,000,000,000.00 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $189,082,777,983.46 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $197,783,135,875.60 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $197,858,138,960.88 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $194,633,006,293.97 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $196,283,074,170.06 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $205,358,447,488.58 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $240,309,885,227.69 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $250,735,314,081.20 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $268,286,036,036.04 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $282,086,603,727.01 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $309,537,732,938.42 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $358,739,756,880.17 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $382,590,737,998.27 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $367,515,117,857.58 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $362,564,914,229.30 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $395,341,262,495.37 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $391,066,086,634.58 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $388,590,984,820.44 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $387,165,926,200.17 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $385,965,876,835.74 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $393,766,197,704.55 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $400,516,475,379.49 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $402,091,540,170.31 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $405,241,669,751.94 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $411,316,919,659.39 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $414,542,052,326.30 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $416,867,147,969.89 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $421,967,357,768.73 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $425,567,505,862.03 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $429,617,672,466.99 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $441,168,147,599.65 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $459,168,888,066.15 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $483,694,896,951.75 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $511,521,041,589.53 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $532,596,908,552.39 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $549,847,618,166.11 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $561,248,087,128.22 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $581,798,932,494.14 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $624,925,706,528.45 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $652,751,851,166.23 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $677,202,856,966.56 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $707,504,103,418.49 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $732,330,124,645.19 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $764,431,445,143.77 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $818,508,669,628.53 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $857,510,273,972.60 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $880,011,199,555.72 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $901,762,094,286.07 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $918,337,776,132.30 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $945,263,883,746.76 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $953,289,213,871.41 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $995,215,938,541.28 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $1,038,417,715,660.87 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $1,067,293,903,492.53 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $1,116,795,939,775.39 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $1,158,422,652,104.16 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $1,186,923,824,509.44 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $1,202,974,484,758.73 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $1,200,649,389,115.14 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $1,187,673,855,362.21 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $1,185,348,759,718.62 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $1,195,699,185,486.86 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $1,197,274,250,277.67 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $1,181,673,608,540.05 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $1,166,222,972,972.97 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $1,145,447,118,351.23 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $1,116,270,918,178.45 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $1,087,919,751,943.72 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $1,083,944,588,424.04 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $1,075,919,258,299.40 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $1,075,094,224,361.35 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $1,071,028,307,108.48 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $1,070,206,273,293.84 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $1,080,747,956,929.53 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $1,075,571,994,014.56 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $1,099,041,209,428.61 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $1,136,427,997,346.66 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $1,146,749,171,911.64 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $1,147,675,460,014.81 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $1,133,169,113,291.37 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $1,134,454,666,173.02 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $1,130,554,505,738.62 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $1,130,936,271,442.68 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $1,116,510,928,051.34 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $1,062,751,716,648.15 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $1,088,978,795,507.84 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $1,143,773,799,518.70 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $1,175,256,344,563.74 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $1,183,392,679,254.60 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $1,184,930,992,533.63 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $1,216,247,030,729.36 | 2.64%* |
* 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 | 135.133 |