According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 495.02% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $61,113,044,727.09 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2026: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 2.10% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, apparel costing $12,345,678,900 in the year 1940 would cost $73,458,723,627.09 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.72% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1940: Pricing changed by 0.85%, which is below the average yearly change for apparel during the 1940-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1940 (0.72%), inflation for apparel was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $12,345,678,900 beginning in 1940. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | $12,345,678,900.00 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $12,916,495,540.01 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $15,114,847,227.97 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $15,770,578,740.05 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $16,874,472,076.92 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $17,742,490,769.16 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $19,469,093,167.86 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $22,563,768,505.43 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $24,063,931,245.28 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $23,115,715,173.86 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $22,804,360,642.95 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $24,865,905,037.03 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $24,597,007,942.15 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $24,441,330,676.69 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $24,351,698,311.73 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $24,276,218,425.45 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $24,766,837,686.28 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $25,191,412,046.62 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $25,290,479,397.36 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $25,488,614,098.85 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $25,870,731,023.16 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $26,073,583,217.54 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $26,219,825,497.21 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $26,540,615,013.91 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $26,767,054,672.76 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $27,021,799,288.96 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $27,748,293,194.42 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $28,880,491,488.65 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $30,423,111,664.54 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $32,173,301,527.70 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $33,498,917,030.53 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $34,583,940,395.83 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $35,300,999,315.51 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $36,593,592,368.09 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $39,306,150,781.35 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $41,056,340,644.52 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $42,594,243,327.51 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $44,500,110,456.13 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $46,061,600,603.59 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $48,080,687,561.64 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $51,481,999,937.22 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $53,935,096,241.38 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $55,350,344,109.17 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $56,718,417,048.03 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $57,760,982,977.30 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $59,454,562,925.75 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $59,959,334,665.27 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $62,596,413,192.24 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $65,313,689,098.40 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $67,129,923,862.06 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $70,243,469,171.19 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $72,861,677,726.60 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $74,654,325,025.79 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $75,663,868,504.81 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $75,517,626,225.14 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $74,701,499,954.72 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $74,555,257,675.05 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $75,206,271,694.23 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $75,305,339,044.98 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $74,324,100,523.31 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $73,352,296,987.43 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $72,045,551,456.17 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $70,210,446,720.94 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $68,427,234,407.53 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $68,177,207,284.22 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $67,672,435,544.71 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $67,620,543,122.89 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $67,364,807,833.18 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $67,313,104,111.08 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $67,976,147,737.13 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $67,650,593,552.61 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $69,126,744,253.65 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $71,478,272,935.83 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $72,127,447,132.79 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $72,185,708,170.01 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $71,273,297,869.65 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $71,354,155,697.83 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $71,108,846,067.41 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $71,132,858,106.24 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $70,225,542,698.20 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $66,844,232,492.48 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $68,493,845,407.17 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $71,940,304,189.74 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $73,920,471,831.42 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $74,432,225,460.41 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $74,710,729,086.27 | 0.37% |
| 2026 | $73,458,723,627.09 | -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 |