Boys' apparel priced at $20 in 1981 $24.67 in 2024

Boys' Apparel Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Boys' Apparel, 1981-2024 ($20)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for boys' apparel are 23.36% higher in 2024 versus 1981 (a $4.67 difference in value).

Between 1981 and 2024: Boys' apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 0.49% per year. In other words, boys' apparel costing $20 in the year 1981 would cost $24.67 in 2024 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 2.92% during this same period, inflation for boys' apparel was lower.

In the year 1981: Pricing changed by 5.05%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for boys' apparel during the 1981-2024 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1981 (10.33%), inflation for boys' apparel was much lower.

Price Inflation for Boys' apparel since 1977

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 2020 (-8.04%), 1980 (6.11%), and 2018 (5.82%).

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Buying power of $20.00 since 1981

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Boys' apparel, over time, for $20 beginning in 1981. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1981$20.005.05%
1982$20.592.96%
1983$21.333.57%
1984$21.701.74%
1985$22.232.44%
1986$22.310.35%
1987$22.04-1.21%
1988$22.692.95%
1989$22.900.93%
1990$23.120.95%
1991$23.873.28%
1992$24.562.86%
1993$24.941.57%
1994$24.47-1.90%
1995$24.821.42%
1996$24.62-0.78%
1997$24.951.32%
1998$25.291.35%
1999$24.90-1.51%
2000$24.64-1.06%
2001$23.94-2.83%
2002$22.68-5.28%
2003$21.76-4.05%
2004$21.75-0.04%
2005$20.56-5.47%
2006$19.87-3.38%
2007$19.44-2.12%
2008$19.821.94%
2009$20.191.83%
2010$19.41-3.85%
2011$20.344.81%
2012$21.525.80%
2013$21.761.12%
2014$22.041.25%
2015$21.85-0.83%
2016$22.020.77%
2017$21.39-2.88%
2018$22.635.82%
2019$23.343.11%
2020$21.46-8.04%
2021$22.444.56%
2022$23.394.26%
2023$24.072.90%
2024$24.672.49%*

* 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 Boys' apparel:

Year197719781979198019811982198319841985198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
CPI81.80080.89284.60889.77794.30897.100100.569102.323104.823105.192103.923106.985107.977109.000112.577115.800117.615115.385117.023116.108117.638119.231117.431116.185112.900106.938102.608102.56996.95493.67791.68793.46895.18291.51895.922101.481102.619103.905103.046103.835100.843106.711110.034101.189105.808110.313113.506116.335

Adjust boys' apparel prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2024 / CPI in 1981 * 1981 USD value = 2024 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Boys' apparel was 94.308 in the year 1981 and 116.335 in 2024:

116.335 / 94.308 * $20 = $24.67

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 1981 has the same "purchasing power" as $24.67 in 2024 (in the CPI category of Boys' apparel).


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

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