Women's dresses priced at $20 in 1948 $37.76 in 2024

Women's Dresses Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Women's Dresses, 1948-2024 ($20)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for women's dresses are 88.78% higher in 2024 versus 1948 (a $17.76 difference in value).

Between 1948 and 2024: Women's dresses experienced an average inflation rate of 0.84% per year. In other words, women's dresses costing $20 in the year 1948 would cost $37.76 in 2024 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.44% during this same period, inflation for women's dresses was lower.

In the year 1948: Pricing changed by 9.06%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for women's dresses during the 1948-2024 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1948 (7.72%), inflation for women's dresses was higher.

Price Inflation for Women's dresses since 1935

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1942 (20.20%), 2020 (-16.05%), and 1949 (-15.90%).

View price changes for other categories
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Buying power of $20.00 since 1948

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Women's dresses, over time, for $20 beginning in 1948. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1948$20.009.06%
1949$16.82-15.90%
1950$15.61-7.20%
1951$16.727.13%
1952$16.67-0.29%
1953$16.720.30%
1954$16.730.04%
1955$16.860.80%
1956$17.020.92%
1957$17.120.58%
1958$17.240.70%
1959$17.652.41%
1960$17.690.20%
1961$17.760.40%
1962$17.800.24%
1963$17.920.71%
1964$18.332.24%
1965$18.681.92%
1966$19.594.90%
1967$21.369.05%
1968$23.9211.95%
1969$26.028.78%
1970$27.445.45%
1971$27.04-1.43%
1972$27.581.97%
1973$28.794.39%
1974$29.853.69%
1975$30.572.40%
1976$31.663.57%
1977$32.823.68%
1978$33.582.31%
1979$34.793.59%
1980$34.78-0.02%
1981$34.810.08%
1982$33.87-2.71%
1983$35.023.40%
1984$36.644.63%
1985$37.382.02%
1986$36.93-1.21%
1987$41.0111.04%
1988$43.435.91%
1989$43.450.04%
1990$45.394.48%
1991$47.093.74%
1992$47.01-0.18%
1993$47.891.89%
1994$45.15-5.73%
1995$42.64-5.55%
1996$39.58-7.19%
1997$39.05-1.34%
1998$39.982.40%
1999$38.03-4.89%
2000$35.39-6.94%
2001$34.64-2.12%
2002$36.545.48%
2003$35.98-1.51%
2004$35.65-0.92%
2005$36.462.26%
2006$39.157.37%
2007$39.681.35%
2008$39.66-0.04%
2009$41.143.74%
2010$39.18-4.78%
2011$40.894.37%
2012$42.634.26%
2013$42.860.55%
2014$44.122.93%
2015$43.18-2.14%
2016$42.28-2.07%
2017$43.282.37%
2018$44.683.23%
2019$40.97-8.31%
2020$34.40-16.05%
2021$35.533.30%
2022$37.375.18%
2023$37.700.87%
2024$37.760.15%*

* 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 dresses:

Year193519361937193819391940194119421943194419451946194719481949195019511952195319541955195619571958195919601961196219631964196519661967196819691970197119721973197419751976197719781979198019811982198319841985198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
CPI29.57529.66730.66030.02030.06030.10031.07737.35438.99242.66945.00845.82352.13856.86047.82044.37547.54047.40047.54047.56047.94048.38048.66049.00050.18050.28050.48050.60050.96052.10053.10055.70060.74068.00073.96978.00076.88578.40081.83884.86286.90090.00093.31595.46998.90098.88598.96296.28599.562104.169106.277104.992116.585123.477123.523129.054133.877133.638136.162128.362121.238112.515111.008113.669108.108100.60098.469103.869102.300101.362103.654111.292112.797112.748116.963111.375116.246121.196121.864125.433122.750120.207123.058127.034116.48197.790101.016106.246107.174107.340

Adjust women's dresses prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2024 / CPI in 1948 * 1948 USD value = 2024 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Women's dresses was 56.860 in the year 1948 and 107.340 in 2024:

107.340 / 56.860 * $20 = $37.76

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 1948 has the same "purchasing power" as $37.76 in 2024 (in the CPI category of Women's dresses).


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

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