Women's and girls' apparel priced at $20 in 1938 $70.33 in 2024

Women's And Girls' Apparel Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Women's And Girls' Apparel, 1938-2024 ($20)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for women's and girls' apparel are 251.65% higher in 2024 versus 1938 (a $50.33 difference in value).

Between 1938 and 2024: Women's and girls' apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.47% per year. In other words, women's and girls' apparel costing $20 in the year 1938 would cost $70.33 in 2024 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.67% during this same period, inflation for women's and girls' apparel was lower.

In the year 1938: Pricing changed by -0.63%, which is below the average yearly change for women's and girls' apparel during the 1938-2024 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1938 (-2.03%), inflation for women's and girls' apparel was higher.

Price Inflation for Women's and girls' apparel since 1935

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1947 (15.88%), 1942 (15.64%), and 1951 (7.66%).

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Buying power of $20.00 since 1938

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Women's and girls' apparel, over time, for $20 beginning in 1938. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1938$20.00-0.63%
1939$19.75-1.27%
1940$19.870.65%
1941$20.764.49%
1942$24.0115.64%
1943$25.104.51%
1944$27.017.61%
1945$28.475.42%
1946$30.577.38%
1947$35.4315.88%
1948$37.535.92%
1949$35.46-5.51%
1950$34.27-3.34%
1951$36.907.66%
1952$36.46-1.20%
1953$36.04-1.16%
1954$35.74-0.82%
1955$35.42-0.90%
1956$35.670.72%
1957$35.860.54%
1958$35.80-0.18%
1959$35.940.40%
1960$36.110.48%
1961$36.250.37%
1962$36.21-0.11%
1963$36.510.84%
1964$36.680.47%
1965$36.990.84%
1966$37.711.95%
1967$39.424.53%
1968$41.755.90%
1969$44.065.53%
1970$45.763.86%
1971$47.373.52%
1972$48.512.41%
1973$50.203.47%
1974$53.216.00%
1975$54.452.34%
1976$55.972.78%
1977$57.733.15%
1978$58.861.95%
1979$59.901.77%
1980$61.162.10%
1981$62.111.55%
1982$62.720.99%
1983$63.831.77%
1984$64.531.09%
1985$66.843.59%
1986$66.23-0.92%
1987$70.316.16%
1988$73.184.08%
1989$74.151.33%
1990$78.065.27%
1991$81.244.07%
1992$83.042.21%
1993$84.431.68%
1994$83.40-1.22%
1995$80.83-3.08%
1996$79.40-1.77%
1997$80.321.15%
1998$80.24-0.10%
1999$78.53-2.14%
2000$77.40-1.43%
2001$75.98-1.84%
2002$73.77-2.91%
2003$72.01-2.38%
2004$71.95-0.09%
2005$70.57-1.92%
2006$70.51-0.08%
2007$70.25-0.37%
2008$68.45-2.57%
2009$68.850.59%
2010$68.20-0.94%
2011$69.531.95%
2012$71.973.50%
2013$72.190.31%
2014$72.840.90%
2015$70.84-2.75%
2016$70.850.02%
2017$70.72-0.20%
2018$70.35-0.52%
2019$67.99-3.35%
2020$63.52-6.57%
2021$64.291.22%
2022$67.545.04%
2023$69.613.07%
2024$70.331.04%*

* 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 Women's and girls' apparel:

Year193519361937193819391940194119421943194419451946194719481949195019511952195319541955195619571958195919601961196219631964196519661967196819691970197119721973197419751976197719781979198019811982198319841985198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
CPI29.80030.10031.60031.40031.00031.20032.60037.70039.40042.40044.70048.00055.62358.91555.66953.80857.93157.23856.57756.11555.60856.00856.30856.20856.43156.70056.90856.84657.32357.59258.07759.20861.89265.54669.16971.83874.36976.16278.80883.53885.49287.86990.63892.40894.04696.02397.50898.477100.215101.308104.946103.985110.392114.892116.423122.562127.554130.369132.562130.938126.908124.662126.100125.977123.285121.523119.285115.815113.062112.962110.792110.700110.296107.460108.091107.081109.166112.990113.338114.362111.214111.240111.023110.442106.74799.729100.941106.033109.286110.419

Adjust women's and girls' apparel prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2024 / CPI in 1938 * 1938 USD value = 2024 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Women's and girls' apparel was 31.400 in the year 1938 and 110.419 in 2024:

110.419 / 31.400 * $20 = $70.33

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 1938 has the same "purchasing power" as $70.33 in 2024 (in the CPI category of Women's and girls' apparel).


Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Women's and girls' apparel in 1935. In addition to women's and girls' apparel, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.

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