According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 445.94% higher in 2025 versus 1930 (a $98,106,059,556.79 difference in value).
Between 1930 and 2025: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.80% per year. In other words, apparel costing $22,000,000,000 in the year 1930 would cost $120,106,059,556.79 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.16% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1930: Pricing changed by -2.43%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for apparel during the 1930-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1930 (-2.65%), inflation for apparel was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $22,000,000,000 beginning in 1930. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1930 | $22,000,000,000.00 | -2.43% |
| 1931 | $19,745,152,354.57 | -10.25% |
| 1932 | $17,551,246,537.40 | -11.11% |
| 1933 | $17,429,362,880.89 | -0.69% |
| 1934 | $18,891,966,759.00 | 8.39% |
| 1935 | $19,013,850,415.51 | 0.65% |
| 1936 | $19,227,146,814.40 | 1.12% |
| 1937 | $20,238,781,163.43 | 5.26% |
| 1938 | $19,982,825,484.76 | -1.26% |
| 1939 | $19,763,434,903.05 | -1.10% |
| 1940 | $19,941,036,802.53 | 0.90% |
| 1941 | $20,856,168,761.99 | 4.59% |
| 1942 | $24,407,202,216.07 | 17.03% |
| 1943 | $25,461,964,628.17 | 4.32% |
| 1944 | $27,248,028,979.33 | 7.01% |
| 1945 | $28,654,378,862.14 | 5.16% |
| 1946 | $31,438,951,630.09 | 9.72% |
| 1947 | $36,438,525,463.46 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $38,857,447,261.88 | 6.64% |
| 1949 | $37,324,525,889.62 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $36,825,271,681.23 | -1.34% |
| 1951 | $40,151,289,154.06 | 9.03% |
| 1952 | $39,722,352,439.80 | -1.07% |
| 1953 | $39,462,177,711.49 | -0.65% |
| 1954 | $39,328,574,472.62 | -0.34% |
| 1955 | $39,202,002,983.17 | -0.32% |
| 1956 | $39,989,558,917.54 | 2.01% |
| 1957 | $40,678,670,360.11 | 1.72% |
| 1958 | $40,833,368,847.22 | 0.38% |
| 1959 | $41,156,829,320.26 | 0.79% |
| 1960 | $41,775,623,268.70 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $42,106,115,491.16 | 0.79% |
| 1962 | $42,338,163,221.82 | 0.55% |
| 1963 | $42,858,512,678.46 | 1.23% |
| 1964 | $43,224,163,647.99 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $43,639,036,863.41 | 0.96% |
| 1966 | $44,806,307,266.14 | 2.67% |
| 1967 | $46,634,562,113.79 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $49,123,801,406.35 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $51,950,564,670.79 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $54,095,248,242.06 | 4.13% |
| 1971 | $55,846,153,846.15 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $56,999,360,750.05 | 2.06% |
| 1973 | $59,087,790,326.02 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $63,468,570,210.95 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $66,295,333,475.39 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $68,777,541,018.54 | 3.74% |
| 1977 | $71,857,447,261.88 | 4.48% |
| 1978 | $74,381,845,301.51 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $77,637,545,280.20 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $83,129,341,572.55 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $87,095,248,242.06 | 4.77% |
| 1982 | $89,380,566,801.62 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $91,588,536,117.62 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $93,276,155,976.99 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $96,004,474,749.63 | 2.92% |
| 1986 | $96,820,157,681.65 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $101,081,397,826.55 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $105,469,209,460.90 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $108,401,448,966.55 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $113,429,149,797.57 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $117,655,231,195.40 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $120,552,311,953.97 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $122,183,677,818.03 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $121,944,598,337.95 | -0.20% |
| 1995 | $120,629,661,197.53 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $120,390,581,717.45 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $121,445,344,129.55 | 0.88% |
| 1998 | $121,600,042,616.66 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $120,017,898,998.51 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $118,449,818,879.18 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $116,340,294,054.98 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $113,372,895,802.26 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $110,496,910,291.92 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $110,089,068,825.91 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $109,273,385,893.88 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $109,196,036,650.33 | -0.07% |
| 2007 | $108,779,546,132.54 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $108,696,079,266.99 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $109,766,733,432.77 | 0.98% |
| 2010 | $109,241,039,846.58 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $111,624,732,580.44 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $115,421,947,581.50 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $116,470,170,466.65 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $116,564,255,273.81 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $115,090,963,136.59 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $115,221,472,405.71 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $114,825,373,961.22 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $114,864,118,900.49 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $113,399,053,910.08 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $107,938,970,807.59 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $110,602,738,120.61 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $116,168,016,194.33 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $119,365,563,605.37 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $120,191,934,796.51 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $120,106,059,556.79 | -0.07%* |
* 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 | 1913 | 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 |
| CPI | 14.900 | 15.000 | 15.450 | 17.350 | 21.200 | 29.550 | 37.733 | 42.800 | 31.625 | 26.860 | 27.100 | 26.760 | 26.300 | 25.833 | 25.267 | 24.967 | 24.667 | 24.067 | 21.600 | 19.200 | 19.067 | 20.667 | 20.800 | 21.033 | 22.140 | 21.860 | 21.620 | 21.814 | 22.815 | 26.700 | 27.854 | 29.808 | 31.346 | 34.392 | 39.862 | 42.508 | 40.831 | 40.285 | 43.923 | 43.454 | 43.169 | 43.023 | 42.885 | 43.746 | 44.500 | 44.669 | 45.023 | 45.700 | 46.062 | 46.315 | 46.885 | 47.285 | 47.738 | 49.015 | 51.015 | 53.738 | 56.831 | 59.177 | 61.092 | 62.354 | 64.638 | 69.431 | 72.523 | 75.238 | 78.608 | 81.369 | 84.931 | 90.938 | 95.277 | 97.777 | 100.192 | 102.038 | 105.023 | 105.915 | 110.577 | 115.377 | 118.585 | 124.085 | 128.708 | 131.877 | 133.662 | 133.400 | 131.962 | 131.700 | 132.854 | 133.023 | 131.292 | 129.577 | 127.269 | 124.023 | 120.877 | 120.431 | 119.538 | 119.454 | 118.998 | 118.907 | 120.078 | 119.503 | 122.111 | 126.265 | 127.411 | 127.514 | 125.903 | 126.045 | 125.612 | 125.654 | 124.052 | 118.079 | 120.993 | 127.081 | 130.579 | 131.483 | 131.389 |