According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 430.55% higher in 2026 versus 1930 (a $3,572,250,027.94 difference in value).
Between 1930 and 2026: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.75% per year. In other words, apparel costing $829,700,000 in the year 1930 would cost $4,401,950,027.94 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 $829,700,000 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 | $829,700,000.00 | -1.28% |
| 1931 | $766,942,453.15 | -7.56% |
| 1932 | $674,502,282.79 | -12.05% |
| 1933 | $628,706,235.09 | -6.79% |
| 1934 | $694,496,292.40 | 10.46% |
| 1935 | $704,815,526.14 | 1.49% |
| 1936 | $712,665,655.88 | 1.11% |
| 1937 | $745,457,887.56 | 4.60% |
| 1938 | $745,740,579.22 | 0.04% |
| 1939 | $733,584,838.16 | -1.63% |
| 1940 | $739,804,054.51 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $774,009,744.46 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $905,744,054.51 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $945,038,194.21 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $1,011,188,040.89 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $1,063,203,304.94 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $1,166,668,449.74 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $1,352,114,173.76 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $1,442,010,119.25 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $1,385,189,097.10 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $1,366,531,448.04 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $1,490,067,700.17 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $1,473,954,275.98 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $1,464,625,451.45 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $1,459,254,310.05 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $1,454,731,243.61 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $1,484,131,175.47 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $1,509,573,424.19 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $1,515,509,948.89 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $1,527,382,998.30 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $1,550,281,022.15 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $1,562,436,763.20 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $1,571,200,204.43 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $1,590,423,236.80 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $1,603,992,436.12 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $1,619,257,785.35 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $1,662,792,299.83 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $1,730,638,296.42 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $1,823,078,466.78 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $1,927,957,069.85 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $2,007,393,424.19 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $2,072,412,504.26 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $2,115,381,635.43 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $2,192,839,148.21 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $2,355,386,848.38 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $2,460,265,451.45 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $2,552,422,930.15 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $2,666,630,357.75 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $2,760,201,294.72 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $2,881,193,321.98 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $3,085,014,003.41 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $3,232,013,662.69 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $3,316,821,158.43 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $3,398,801,737.65 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $3,461,276,592.84 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $3,562,762,896.08 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $3,593,010,902.90 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $3,751,035,536.63 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $3,913,865,928.45 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $4,022,702,214.65 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $4,209,278,705.28 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $4,366,172,572.40 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $4,473,595,400.34 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $4,534,091,413.97 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $4,525,327,972.74 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $4,476,422,316.87 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $4,467,658,875.64 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $4,506,670,323.68 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $4,512,606,848.38 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $4,453,806,984.67 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $4,395,572,504.26 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $4,317,266,916.52 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $4,207,299,863.71 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $4,100,442,419.08 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $4,085,459,761.50 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $4,055,211,754.68 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $4,052,102,146.51 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $4,036,777,432.03 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $4,033,679,131.52 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $4,073,411,443.27 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $4,053,902,892.33 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $4,142,359,937.31 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $4,283,273,245.32 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $4,322,174,443.61 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $4,325,665,685.52 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $4,270,990,293.02 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $4,275,835,627.94 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $4,261,135,662.01 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $4,262,574,562.52 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $4,208,204,477.00 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $4,005,582,408.18 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $4,104,434,025.21 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $4,310,960,065.76 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $4,429,619,886.88 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $4,460,286,277.34 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $4,476,975,364.53 | 0.37% |
| 2026 | $4,401,950,027.94 | -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 |