According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 542.10% higher in 2026 versus 1935 (a $119,261,869,677.90 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 $22,000,000,000 in the year 1935 would cost $141,261,869,677.90 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 $22,000,000,000 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 | $22,000,000,000.00 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $22,245,032,703.94 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $23,268,604,220.66 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $23,277,428,113.04 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $22,898,000,740.47 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $23,092,126,372.95 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $24,159,817,351.60 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $28,271,751,203.26 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $29,498,272,244.85 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $31,563,063,063.06 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $33,186,659,262.00 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $36,416,203,875.11 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $42,204,677,280.02 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $45,010,675,058.62 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $43,237,072,689.13 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $42,654,695,791.68 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $46,510,736,764.16 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $46,007,774,898.19 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $45,716,586,449.46 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $45,548,932,494.14 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $45,407,750,215.97 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $46,325,435,024.07 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $47,119,585,338.76 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $47,304,887,078.86 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $47,675,490,559.05 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $48,390,225,842.28 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $48,769,653,214.86 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $49,043,193,878.81 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $49,643,218,561.03 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $50,066,765,395.53 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $50,543,255,584.35 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $51,902,135,011.72 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $54,019,869,184.25 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $56,905,281,994.32 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $60,178,946,069.36 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $62,658,459,829.69 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $64,687,955,078.37 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $66,029,186,720.97 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $68,446,933,234.60 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $73,520,671,356.29 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $76,794,335,431.32 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $79,670,924,349.01 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $83,235,776,872.76 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $86,156,485,252.38 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $89,933,111,193.39 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $96,295,137,603.36 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $100,883,561,643.84 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $103,530,729,359.50 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $106,089,658,151.30 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $108,039,738,368.51 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $111,207,515,734.91 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $112,151,672,220.17 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $117,084,228,063.68 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $122,166,790,077.75 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $125,563,988,646.18 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $131,387,757,620.63 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $136,285,017,894.61 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $139,638,097,001.11 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $141,526,409,971.62 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $141,252,869,307.66 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $139,726,335,924.97 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $139,452,795,261.01 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $140,670,492,410.22 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $140,855,794,150.31 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $139,020,424,534.12 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $137,202,702,702.70 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $134,758,484,511.91 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $131,325,990,373.94 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $127,990,559,052.20 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $127,522,892,755.77 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $126,578,736,270.52 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $126,481,673,454.28 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $126,003,330,248.06 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $125,906,620,387.51 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $127,146,818,462.30 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $126,537,881,648.77 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $129,298,965,815.13 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $133,697,411,452.55 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $134,911,667,283.72 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $135,020,642,354.68 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $133,314,013,328.40 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $133,465,254,843.88 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $133,006,412,439.84 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $133,051,326,052.08 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $131,354,226,829.57 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $125,029,613,723.31 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $128,115,152,412.69 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $134,561,623,472.79 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $138,265,452,301.62 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $139,222,668,147.60 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $139,403,646,180.43 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $141,261,869,677.90 | 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 |