According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 524.55% higher in 2026 versus 1935 (a $1,599,888,171,047.76 difference in value).
Between 1935 and 2026: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 2.03% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, apparel costing $305,000,000,000 in the year 1935 would cost $1,904,888,171,047.76 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 $305,000,000,000 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 | $305,000,000,000.00 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $308,397,044,304.58 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $322,587,467,604.59 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $322,709,798,839.94 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $317,449,555,720.10 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $320,140,842,897.69 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $334,942,922,374.43 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $391,949,278,045.17 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $408,953,319,758.11 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $437,578,828,828.83 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $460,087,776,132.30 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $504,861,008,268.54 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $585,110,298,654.82 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $624,011,631,494.51 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $599,423,053,190.18 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $591,349,191,657.41 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $644,807,941,503.15 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $637,835,061,088.49 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $633,798,130,322.10 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $631,473,836,850.55 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $629,516,537,085.03 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $642,238,985,560.90 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $653,248,796,741.95 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $655,817,752,684.19 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $660,955,664,568.68 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $670,864,494,631.62 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $676,124,737,751.45 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $679,917,006,047.14 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $688,235,530,050.60 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $694,107,429,347.16 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $700,713,316,055.78 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $719,552,326,298.90 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $748,911,822,781.69 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $788,914,136,739.48 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $834,299,025,052.45 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $868,674,102,184.38 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $896,810,286,313.71 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $915,404,634,086.14 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $948,923,392,570.65 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $1,019,263,852,893.99 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $1,064,648,741,206.96 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $1,104,528,723,929.41 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $1,153,950,543,008.76 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $1,194,442,181,907.94 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $1,246,799,950,635.57 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $1,335,000,771,319.26 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $1,398,613,013,698.63 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $1,435,312,384,302.11 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $1,470,788,442,552.14 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $1,497,823,645,563.37 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $1,541,740,559,052.20 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $1,554,830,001,234.11 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $1,623,213,161,791.93 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $1,693,675,953,350.61 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $1,740,773,478,958.41 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $1,821,512,094,286.07 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $1,889,405,929,902.51 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $1,935,891,799,333.58 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $1,962,070,683,697.40 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $1,958,278,415,401.70 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $1,937,115,111,687.03 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $1,933,322,843,391.34 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $1,950,204,553,868.94 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $1,952,773,509,811.18 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $1,927,328,612,859.43 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $1,902,128,378,378.38 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $1,868,242,626,187.83 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $1,820,655,775,638.65 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $1,774,414,568,678.27 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $1,767,931,013,204.99 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $1,754,841,571,023.08 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $1,753,495,927,434.28 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $1,746,864,351,166.23 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $1,745,523,600,826.85 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $1,762,717,255,954.58 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $1,754,275,177,403.43 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $1,792,553,844,255.21 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $1,853,532,295,137.60 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $1,870,366,296,433.42 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $1,871,877,087,189.93 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $1,848,217,002,961.87 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $1,850,313,760,335.68 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $1,843,952,536,097.74 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $1,844,575,202,085.65 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $1,821,047,235,591.76 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $1,733,365,099,345.92 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $1,776,141,885,721.34 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $1,865,513,416,327.29 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $1,916,861,952,363.32 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $1,930,132,444,773.54 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $1,937,354,436,067.45 | 0.37% |
| 2026 | $1,904,888,171,047.76 | -1.68%* |
* 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 | 131.975 | 129.763 |