According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 430.55% higher in 2026 versus 1930 (a $1,732,317,719.14 difference in value).
Between 1930 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.75% per year. In other words, apparel costing $402,352,579 in the year 1930 would cost $2,134,670,298.14 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.14% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1930: Pricing changed by -1.28%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for apparel during the 1930-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1930 (-2.67%), inflation for apparel was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $402,352,579 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 | $402,352,579.00 | -1.28% |
| 1931 | $371,919,096.02 | -7.56% |
| 1932 | $327,091,398.12 | -12.05% |
| 1933 | $304,883,180.82 | -6.79% |
| 1934 | $336,787,241.60 | 10.46% |
| 1935 | $341,791,424.21 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $345,598,245.88 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $361,500,426.17 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $361,637,513.94 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $355,742,740.21 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $358,758,670.95 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $375,346,290.05 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $439,229,186.75 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $458,284,385.55 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $490,362,921.66 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $515,587,069.72 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $565,761,190.30 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $655,690,761.62 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $699,284,669.67 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $671,730,029.68 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $662,682,237.44 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $722,589,589.07 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $714,775,586.68 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $710,251,690.56 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $707,647,023.10 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $705,453,618.92 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $719,710,746.08 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $732,048,644.59 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $734,927,487.57 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $740,685,173.54 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $751,789,282.19 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $757,684,055.92 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $761,933,776.52 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $771,255,744.28 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $777,835,956.81 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $785,238,695.92 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $806,350,211.13 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $839,251,273.81 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $884,078,971.71 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $934,938,531.10 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $973,460,191.99 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $1,004,990,377.05 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $1,025,827,716.75 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $1,063,389,763.31 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $1,142,215,225.97 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $1,193,074,785.36 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $1,237,765,395.50 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $1,293,148,851.01 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $1,338,524,899.95 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $1,397,198,461.73 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $1,496,038,737.52 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $1,567,324,373.32 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $1,608,450,701.67 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $1,648,206,152.41 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $1,678,502,547.62 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $1,727,717,053.88 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $1,742,385,444.32 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $1,819,017,502.81 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $1,897,980,053.24 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $1,950,758,841.28 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $2,041,236,763.65 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $2,117,320,471.09 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $2,169,413,820.33 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $2,198,750,601.22 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $2,194,500,880.62 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $2,170,784,697.94 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $2,166,534,977.35 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $2,185,453,088.39 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $2,188,331,931.37 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $2,159,817,677.05 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $2,131,577,598.25 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $2,093,604,288.41 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $2,040,277,149.32 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $1,988,457,975.60 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $1,981,192,324.26 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $1,966,523,933.82 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $1,965,015,968.44 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $1,957,584,440.91 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $1,956,081,959.05 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $1,975,349,643.88 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $1,965,889,217.48 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $2,008,785,348.83 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $2,077,119,485.13 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $2,095,984,131.95 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $2,097,677,165.80 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $2,071,163,021.91 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $2,073,512,706.14 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $2,066,384,142.56 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $2,067,081,919.26 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $2,040,715,830.16 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $1,942,456,806.47 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $1,990,393,654.79 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $2,090,545,860.46 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $2,148,088,448.21 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $2,162,959,728.54 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $2,171,052,891.45 | 0.37% |
| 2026 | $2,134,670,298.14 | -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 |