Apparel price inflation, 1938→2026

Apparel Inflation Calculator

Prices for Apparel, 1938-2026 ($5,200)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 490.28% higher in 2026 versus 1938 (a $25,494.51 difference in value).

Between 1938 and 2026: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 2.04% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, apparel costing $5,200 in the year 1938 would cost $30,694.51 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.63% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.

In the year 1938: Pricing changed by 0.04%, which is below the average yearly change for apparel during the 1938-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1938 (-2.03%), inflation for apparel was higher.

Price Inflation for Apparel since 1914

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1919 (47.83%), 1920 (28.26%), and 1918 (25.97%).

View price changes for other categories
Bread · Frankfurters · St Louis, Missouri · Women's apparel · More

Buying power of $5,200.00 since 1938

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $5,200 beginning in 1938. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

Year	USD Value	Inflation Rate
1938	$5,200.00	0.04%
1939	$5,115.24	-1.63%
1940	$5,158.61	0.85%
1941	$5,397.12	4.62%
1942	$6,315.69	17.02%
1943	$6,589.69	4.34%
1944	$7,050.95	7.00%
1945	$7,413.65	5.14%
1946	$8,135.10	9.73%
1947	$9,428.20	15.90%
1948	$10,055.04	6.65%
1949	$9,658.83	-3.94%
1950	$9,528.73	-1.35%
1951	$10,390.14	9.04%
1952	$10,277.79	-1.08%
1953	$10,212.74	-0.63%
1954	$10,175.28	-0.37%
1955	$10,143.75	-0.31%
1956	$10,348.75	2.02%
1957	$10,526.16	1.71%
1958	$10,567.55	0.39%
1959	$10,650.34	0.78%
1960	$10,810.01	1.50%
1961	$10,894.77	0.78%
1962	$10,955.88	0.56%
1963	$11,089.92	1.22%
1964	$11,184.53	0.85%
1965	$11,290.98	0.95%
1966	$11,594.54	2.69%
1967	$12,067.63	4.08%
1968	$12,712.21	5.34%
1969	$13,443.52	5.75%
1970	$13,997.42	4.12%
1971	$14,450.80	3.24%
1972	$14,750.42	2.07%
1973	$15,290.52	3.66%
1974	$16,423.96	7.41%
1975	$17,155.27	4.45%
1976	$17,797.88	3.75%
1977	$18,594.24	4.47%
1978	$19,246.70	3.51%
1979	$20,090.37	4.38%
1980	$21,511.60	7.07%
1981	$22,536.62	4.76%
1982	$23,127.98	2.62%
1983	$23,699.62	2.47%
1984	$24,135.25	1.84%
1985	$24,842.91	2.93%
1986	$25,053.83	0.85%
1987	$26,155.72	4.40%
1988	$27,291.13	4.34%
1989	$28,050.04	2.78%
1990	$29,351.02	4.64%
1991	$30,445.03	3.73%
1992	$31,194.09	2.46%
1993	$31,615.92	1.35%
1994	$31,554.81	-0.19%
1995	$31,213.80	-1.08%
1996	$31,152.69	-0.20%
1997	$31,424.72	0.87%
1998	$31,466.11	0.13%
1999	$31,056.10	-1.30%
2000	$30,650.04	-1.31%
2001	$30,104.02	-1.78%
2002	$29,337.23	-2.55%
2003	$28,592.12	-2.54%
2004	$28,487.64	-0.37%
2005	$28,276.72	-0.74%
2006	$28,255.04	-0.08%
2007	$28,148.18	-0.38%
2008	$28,126.58	-0.08%
2009	$28,403.63	0.99%
2010	$28,267.60	-0.48%
2011	$28,884.40	2.18%
2012	$29,866.98	3.40%
2013	$30,138.24	0.91%
2014	$30,162.58	0.08%
2015	$29,781.33	-1.26%
2016	$29,815.12	0.11%
2017	$29,712.62	-0.34%
2018	$29,722.65	0.03%
2019	$29,343.53	-1.28%
2020	$27,930.66	-4.81%
2021	$28,619.95	2.47%
2022	$30,060.04	5.03%
2023	$30,887.45	2.75%
2024	$31,101.28	0.69%
2025	$31,217.65	0.37%
2026	$30,694.51	-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

Adjust apparel prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2026 / CPI in 1938 * 1938 USD value = 2026 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Apparel was 21.983 in the year 1938 and 129.763 in 2026:

129.763 / 21.983 * $5,200 = $30,694.51

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $5,200 in 1938 has the same "purchasing power" as $30,694.51 in 2026 (in the CPI category of Apparel).

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Apparel in 1914. In addition to apparel, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.