According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 542.10% higher in 2026 versus 1935 (a $10,841,988,152,536.10 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 $2,000,000,000,000 in the year 1935 would cost $12,841,988,152,536.10 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 $2,000,000,000,000 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 | $2,000,000,000,000.00 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $2,022,275,700,357.89 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $2,115,327,656,423.55 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $2,116,129,828,458.60 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $2,081,636,430,951.50 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $2,099,284,215,722.57 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $2,196,347,031,963.47 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $2,570,159,200,296.19 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $2,681,661,113,167.96 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $2,869,369,369,369.37 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $3,016,969,023,818.34 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $3,310,563,988,646.18 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $3,836,788,843,638.16 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $4,091,879,550,783.66 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $3,930,642,971,738.86 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $3,877,699,617,425.64 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $4,228,248,796,741.95 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $4,182,524,990,744.17 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $4,156,053,313,587.56 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $4,140,812,044,921.63 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $4,127,977,292,360.85 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $4,211,403,184,005.92 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $4,283,598,667,160.31 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $4,300,444,279,896.34 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $4,334,135,505,368.38 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $4,399,111,440,207.33 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $4,433,604,837,714.43 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $4,458,472,170,800.94 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $4,513,019,869,184.25 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $4,551,524,126,866.59 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $4,594,841,416,759.22 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $4,718,375,910,156.73 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $4,910,897,198,568.43 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $5,173,207,454,029.37 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $5,470,813,279,032.46 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $5,696,223,620,881.16 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $5,880,723,188,942.37 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $6,002,653,338,269.78 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $6,222,448,475,873.13 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $6,683,697,396,026.16 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $6,981,303,221,029.25 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $7,242,811,304,455.14 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $7,566,888,806,614.83 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $7,832,407,750,215.97 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $8,175,737,381,216.83 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $8,754,103,418,486.98 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $9,171,232,876,712.33 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $9,411,884,487,226.95 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $9,644,514,377,391.09 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $9,821,794,397,136.86 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $10,109,774,157,719.36 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $10,195,606,565,469.58 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $10,644,020,733,061.83 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $11,106,071,825,249.91 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $11,414,908,058,743.68 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $11,944,341,601,875.85 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $12,389,547,081,327.90 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $12,694,372,454,646.43 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $12,866,037,270,146.86 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $12,841,169,937,060.35 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $12,702,394,174,996.92 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $12,677,526,841,910.41 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $12,788,226,582,747.13 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $12,805,072,195,483.15 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $12,638,220,412,193.01 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $12,472,972,972,972.97 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $12,250,771,319,264.47 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $11,938,726,397,630.51 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $11,635,505,368,382.08 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $11,592,990,250,524.50 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $11,507,157,842,774.28 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $11,498,333,950,388.75 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $11,454,848,204,368.75 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $11,446,056,398,864.62 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $11,558,801,678,390.72 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $11,503,443,786,252.01 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $11,754,451,437,739.11 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $12,154,310,132,049.86 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $12,264,697,025,792.92 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $12,274,603,850,425.77 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $12,119,455,757,126.99 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $12,133,204,985,807.72 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $12,091,492,039,985.19 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $12,095,575,095,643.59 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $11,941,293,348,142.66 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $11,366,328,520,301.12 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $11,646,832,037,516.97 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $12,232,874,861,162.53 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $12,569,586,572,874.24 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $12,656,606,195,236.33 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $12,673,058,743,675.18 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $12,841,988,152,536.10 | 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 |