Men's pants and shorts priced at $20 in 1977 $30.81 in 2024

Men's Pants And Shorts Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Men's Pants And Shorts, 1977-2024 ($20)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for men's pants and shorts are 54.05% higher in 2024 versus 1977 (a $10.81 difference in value).

Between 1977 and 2024: Men's pants and shorts experienced an average inflation rate of 0.92% per year. In other words, men's pants and shorts costing $20 in the year 1977 would cost $30.81 in 2024 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.53% during this same period, inflation for men's pants and shorts was lower.

Price Inflation for Men's pants and shorts since 1977

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 2021 (7.15%), 1981 (5.97%), and 2003 (-5.91%).

View price changes for other categories
Airline fares · Admission to sporting events · Film and photographic supplies · Women's apparel · More

Buying power of $20.00 since 1977

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Men's pants and shorts, over time, for $20 beginning in 1977. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1977$20.00-
1978$19.87-0.67%
1979$19.880.05%
1980$20.060.90%
1981$21.255.97%
1982$22.063.81%
1983$22.481.90%
1984$22.731.09%
1985$23.493.38%
1986$23.39-0.42%
1987$24.163.26%
1988$25.234.46%
1989$26.284.16%
1990$26.892.32%
1991$27.863.61%
1992$28.632.76%
1993$28.53-0.37%
1994$28.640.39%
1995$28.60-0.12%
1996$29.252.27%
1997$29.490.83%
1998$29.620.44%
1999$29.730.36%
2000$29.19-1.82%
2001$27.88-4.47%
2002$26.90-3.53%
2003$25.31-5.91%
2004$24.68-2.49%
2005$25.051.52%
2006$24.55-2.00%
2007$24.43-0.49%
2008$24.911.96%
2009$25.070.67%
2010$24.41-2.63%
2011$25.504.45%
2012$26.764.96%
2013$26.960.75%
2014$26.83-0.48%
2015$27.632.98%
2016$26.83-2.89%
2017$26.77-0.22%
2018$26.46-1.17%
2019$26.24-0.83%
2020$26.270.13%
2021$28.157.15%
2022$28.531.34%
2023$30.085.45%
2024$30.812.42%*

* 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 Men's pants and shorts:

Year197719781979198019811982198319841985198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
CPI89.20088.60088.64689.44694.78598.392100.262101.354104.777104.338107.738112.538117.223119.938124.269127.700127.223127.715127.562130.454131.531132.115132.592130.177124.354119.962112.869110.054111.723109.485108.949111.088111.827108.883113.725119.363120.257119.682123.246119.683119.415118.015117.035117.183125.564127.242134.172137.412

Adjust men's pants and shorts prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2024 / CPI in 1977 * 1977 USD value = 2024 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Men's pants and shorts was 89.200 in the year 1977 and 137.412 in 2024:

137.412 / 89.200 * $20 = $30.81

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 1977 has the same "purchasing power" as $30.81 in 2024 (in the CPI category of Men's pants and shorts).


Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Men's pants and shorts in 1977. In addition to men's pants and shorts, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.

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