According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 445.94% higher in 2025 versus 1930 (a $312,155,644,044.32 difference in value).
Between 1930 and 2025: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.80% per year. In other words, apparel costing $70,000,000,000 in the year 1930 would cost $382,155,644,044.32 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 $70,000,000,000 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 | $70,000,000,000.00 | -2.43% |
| 1931 | $62,825,484,764.54 | -10.25% |
| 1932 | $55,844,875,346.26 | -11.11% |
| 1933 | $55,457,063,711.91 | -0.69% |
| 1934 | $60,110,803,324.10 | 8.39% |
| 1935 | $60,498,614,958.45 | 0.65% |
| 1936 | $61,177,285,318.56 | 1.12% |
| 1937 | $64,396,121,883.66 | 5.26% |
| 1938 | $63,581,717,451.52 | -1.26% |
| 1939 | $62,883,656,509.70 | -1.10% |
| 1940 | $63,448,753,462.60 | 0.90% |
| 1941 | $66,360,536,969.96 | 4.59% |
| 1942 | $77,659,279,778.39 | 17.03% |
| 1943 | $81,015,341,998.72 | 4.32% |
| 1944 | $86,698,274,025.14 | 7.01% |
| 1945 | $91,173,023,652.25 | 5.16% |
| 1946 | $100,033,027,913.91 | 9.72% |
| 1947 | $115,940,762,838.27 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $123,637,332,196.89 | 6.64% |
| 1949 | $118,759,855,103.35 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $117,171,318,985.72 | -1.34% |
| 1951 | $127,754,101,853.82 | 9.03% |
| 1952 | $126,389,303,217.56 | -1.07% |
| 1953 | $125,561,474,536.54 | -0.65% |
| 1954 | $125,136,373,321.97 | -0.34% |
| 1955 | $124,733,645,855.53 | -0.32% |
| 1956 | $127,239,505,646.71 | 2.01% |
| 1957 | $129,432,132,963.99 | 1.72% |
| 1958 | $129,924,355,422.97 | 0.38% |
| 1959 | $130,953,547,837.20 | 0.79% |
| 1960 | $132,922,437,673.13 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $133,974,003,835.50 | 0.79% |
| 1962 | $134,712,337,523.97 | 0.55% |
| 1963 | $136,367,994,886.00 | 1.23% |
| 1964 | $137,531,429,789.05 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $138,851,480,929.04 | 0.96% |
| 1966 | $142,565,523,119.54 | 2.67% |
| 1967 | $148,382,697,634.78 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $156,303,004,474.75 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $165,297,251,225.23 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $172,121,244,406.56 | 4.13% |
| 1971 | $177,692,307,692.31 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $181,361,602,386.53 | 2.06% |
| 1973 | $188,006,605,582.78 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $201,945,450,671.21 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $210,939,697,421.69 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $218,837,630,513.53 | 3.74% |
| 1977 | $228,637,332,196.89 | 4.48% |
| 1978 | $236,669,507,777.54 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $247,028,553,164.29 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $264,502,450,458.13 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $277,121,244,406.56 | 4.77% |
| 1982 | $284,392,712,550.61 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $291,418,069,465.16 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $296,787,769,017.69 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $305,468,783,294.27 | 2.92% |
| 1986 | $308,064,138,077.99 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $321,622,629,448.11 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $335,583,848,284.68 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $344,913,701,257.19 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $360,910,931,174.09 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $374,357,553,803.54 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $383,575,538,035.37 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $388,766,247,602.81 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $388,005,540,166.21 | -0.20% |
| 1995 | $383,821,649,264.86 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $383,060,941,828.25 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $386,417,004,048.58 | 0.88% |
| 1998 | $386,909,226,507.56 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $381,875,133,177.07 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $376,885,787,342.85 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $370,173,662,902.19 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $360,731,941,189.00 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $351,581,078,201.58 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $350,283,400,809.72 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $347,688,046,026.00 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $347,441,934,796.51 | -0.07% |
| 2007 | $346,116,737,694.44 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $345,851,161,304.07 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $349,257,788,195.18 | 0.98% |
| 2010 | $347,585,126,784.57 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $355,169,603,665.03 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $367,251,651,395.70 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $370,586,906,030.26 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $370,886,266,780.31 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $366,198,519,070.96 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $366,613,775,836.35 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $365,353,462,603.88 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $365,476,741,956.10 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $360,815,171,532.07 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $343,442,179,842.32 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $351,917,803,111.02 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $369,625,506,072.87 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $379,799,520,562.54 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $382,428,883,443.43 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $382,155,644,044.32 | -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 |