According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 502.31% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $105,886,103,143.42 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2025: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 2.13% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, apparel costing $21,080,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $126,966,103,143.42 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.75% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1940: Pricing changed by 0.90%, which is below the average yearly change for apparel during the 1940-2025 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 $21,080,000,000 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 | $21,080,000,000.00 | 0.90% |
| 1941 | $22,047,401,138.48 | 4.59% |
| 1942 | $25,801,257,367.39 | 17.03% |
| 1943 | $26,916,264,168.05 | 4.32% |
| 1944 | $28,804,342,350.51 | 7.01% |
| 1945 | $30,291,018,084.73 | 5.16% |
| 1946 | $33,234,636,038.49 | 9.72% |
| 1947 | $38,519,768,273.64 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $41,076,850,536.50 | 6.64% |
| 1949 | $39,456,373,986.20 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $38,928,604,100.55 | -1.34% |
| 1951 | $42,444,592,211.98 | 9.03% |
| 1952 | $41,991,156,113.04 | -1.07% |
| 1953 | $41,716,121,102.21 | -0.65% |
| 1954 | $41,574,886,907.46 | -0.34% |
| 1955 | $41,441,086,091.38 | -0.32% |
| 1956 | $42,273,624,502.54 | 2.01% |
| 1957 | $43,002,095,612.31 | 1.72% |
| 1958 | $43,165,629,943.08 | 0.38% |
| 1959 | $43,507,565,361.95 | 0.79% |
| 1960 | $44,161,702,685.00 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $44,511,071,482.54 | 0.79% |
| 1962 | $44,756,372,978.69 | 0.55% |
| 1963 | $45,306,443,000.35 | 1.23% |
| 1964 | $45,692,978,691.25 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $46,131,548,032.84 | 0.96% |
| 1966 | $47,365,488,892.25 | 2.67% |
| 1967 | $49,298,167,346.73 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $51,929,583,396.30 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $54,917,801,622.08 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $57,184,982,116.77 | 4.13% |
| 1971 | $59,035,893,405.87 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $60,254,967,507.93 | 2.06% |
| 1973 | $62,462,680,973.25 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $67,093,675,885.35 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $70,081,894,111.13 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $72,705,876,782.03 | 3.74% |
| 1977 | $75,961,696,639.97 | 4.48% |
| 1978 | $78,630,279,582.89 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $82,071,933,907.61 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $87,877,402,649.74 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $92,069,828,220.24 | 4.77% |
| 1982 | $94,485,676,288.35 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $96,819,757,191.07 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $98,603,768,072.14 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $101,487,918,996.52 | 2.92% |
| 1986 | $102,350,190,922.37 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $106,854,818,397.06 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $111,493,246,687.82 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $114,592,965,593.67 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $119,907,831,343.51 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $124,375,291,924.84 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $127,437,843,937.33 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $129,162,387,789.03 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $128,909,652,914.21 | -0.20% |
| 1995 | $127,519,611,102.72 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $127,266,876,227.90 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $128,381,883,028.56 | 0.88% |
| 1998 | $128,545,417,359.33 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $126,872,907,158.33 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $125,215,263,714.67 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $122,985,250,113.34 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $119,848,364,314.14 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $116,808,112,437.66 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $116,376,976,474.74 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $115,514,704,548.89 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $115,432,937,383.51 | -0.07% |
| 2007 | $114,992,658,364.82 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $114,904,424,159.99 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $116,036,230,396.45 | 0.98% |
| 2010 | $115,480,511,007.00 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $118,000,352,042.72 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $122,014,450,858.90 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $123,122,544,617.40 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $123,222,003,224.02 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $121,664,561,724.85 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $121,802,525,232.99 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $121,383,803,012.44 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $121,424,760,928.92 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $119,876,016,482.80 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $114,104,072,278.47 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $116,919,984,786.66 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $122,803,132,335.90 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $126,183,312,619.01 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $127,056,883,280.44 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $126,966,103,143.42 | -0.07%* |
* 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 | 1913 | 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 |
| CPI | 14.900 | 15.000 | 15.450 | 17.350 | 21.200 | 29.550 | 37.733 | 42.800 | 31.625 | 26.860 | 27.100 | 26.760 | 26.300 | 25.833 | 25.267 | 24.967 | 24.667 | 24.067 | 21.600 | 19.200 | 19.067 | 20.667 | 20.800 | 21.033 | 22.140 | 21.860 | 21.620 | 21.814 | 22.815 | 26.700 | 27.854 | 29.808 | 31.346 | 34.392 | 39.862 | 42.508 | 40.831 | 40.285 | 43.923 | 43.454 | 43.169 | 43.023 | 42.885 | 43.746 | 44.500 | 44.669 | 45.023 | 45.700 | 46.062 | 46.315 | 46.885 | 47.285 | 47.738 | 49.015 | 51.015 | 53.738 | 56.831 | 59.177 | 61.092 | 62.354 | 64.638 | 69.431 | 72.523 | 75.238 | 78.608 | 81.369 | 84.931 | 90.938 | 95.277 | 97.777 | 100.192 | 102.038 | 105.023 | 105.915 | 110.577 | 115.377 | 118.585 | 124.085 | 128.708 | 131.877 | 133.662 | 133.400 | 131.962 | 131.700 | 132.854 | 133.023 | 131.292 | 129.577 | 127.269 | 124.023 | 120.877 | 120.431 | 119.538 | 119.454 | 118.998 | 118.907 | 120.078 | 119.503 | 122.111 | 126.265 | 127.411 | 127.514 | 125.903 | 126.045 | 125.612 | 125.654 | 124.052 | 118.079 | 120.993 | 127.081 | 130.579 | 131.483 | 131.389 |