According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 36.44% higher in 2026 versus 1982 (a $911,109,699,727,307.50 difference in value).
Between 1982 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 0.71% per year. In other words, apparel costing $2,500,000,025,000,000 in the year 1982 would cost $3,411,109,724,727,307.50 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 2.81% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1982: Pricing changed by 2.62%, which is above the average yearly change for apparel during the 1982-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1982 (6.13%), inflation for apparel was much lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $2,500,000,025,000,000 beginning in 1982. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | $2,500,000,025,000,000.00 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $2,561,791,553,786,329.50 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $2,608,880,960,206,256.50 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $2,685,374,611,358,987.50 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $2,708,173,554,738,771.50 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $2,827,282,053,330,350.50 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $2,950,012,813,954,231.50 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $3,032,046,395,274,014.00 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $3,172,675,391,822,211.00 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $3,290,931,593,465,014.00 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $3,371,899,803,598,823.50 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $3,417,497,690,358,391.50 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $3,410,892,389,005,370.00 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $3,374,030,545,970,766.50 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $3,367,425,244,617,745.50 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $3,396,829,489,350,550.00 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $3,401,304,048,331,629.50 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $3,356,984,606,995,227.50 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $3,313,091,314,133,214.50 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $3,254,069,750,430,410.00 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $3,171,183,872,161,851.00 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $3,090,641,810,502,429.50 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $3,079,348,875,931,134.50 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $3,056,549,932,551,351.00 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $3,054,206,115,942,214.50 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $3,042,655,361,543,914.00 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $3,040,320,067,904,266.00 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $3,070,267,651,941,917.00 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $3,055,563,398,833,142.00 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $3,122,236,458,393,591.00 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $3,228,447,573,407,803.00 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $3,257,768,719,188,102.00 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $3,260,400,186,017,451.00 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $3,219,189,497,801,713.50 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $3,222,841,590,227,222.00 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $3,211,761,729,893,122.50 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $3,212,846,277,760,441.50 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $3,171,865,709,720,873.00 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $3,019,142,619,469,531.00 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $3,093,650,418,731,612.00 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $3,249,316,064,198,606.50 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $3,338,753,975,260,888.50 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $3,361,868,268,511,719.00 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $3,366,238,421,116,573.00 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $3,411,109,724,727,307.50 | 1.33%* |
* 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 | 131.654 | 133.409 |