According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 499.24% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $1,291,453,769,559.06 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 $258,682,187,409 in the year 1940 would cost $1,550,135,956,968.06 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 $258,682,187,409 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 | $258,682,187,409.00 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $270,642,655,378.62 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $316,705,284,088.05 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $330,444,995,226.71 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $353,575,156,424.15 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $371,762,975,485.38 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $407,940,919,922.41 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $472,784,448,749.43 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $504,217,744,735.69 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $484,349,529,348.15 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $477,825,637,728.36 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $521,021,707,998.79 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $515,387,437,963.52 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $512,125,492,153.62 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $510,247,402,141.86 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $508,665,852,658.28 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $518,945,924,301.59 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $527,842,140,146.76 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $529,917,923,843.96 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $534,069,491,238.37 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $542,076,085,499.03 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $546,326,499,736.16 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $549,390,751,860.61 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $556,112,337,165.85 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $560,856,985,616.61 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $566,194,715,123.71 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $581,417,128,903.22 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $605,140,371,157.01 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $637,463,288,727.80 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $674,135,467,378.44 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $701,911,430,183.92 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $724,646,204,010.46 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $739,670,924,104.53 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $766,754,959,010.93 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $823,591,893,577.30 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $860,264,072,227.94 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $892,488,142,956.00 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $932,422,267,416.54 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $965,140,572,358.23 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $1,007,447,021,044.15 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $1,078,715,594,648.23 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $1,130,115,952,864.77 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $1,159,770,005,682.00 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $1,188,435,590,071.99 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $1,210,280,742,314.02 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $1,245,766,758,851.98 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $1,256,343,371,023.46 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $1,311,598,756,106.24 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $1,368,534,537,515.32 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $1,406,590,571,964.11 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $1,471,829,488,162.02 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $1,526,689,485,873.90 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $1,564,251,286,109.07 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $1,585,404,510,452.03 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $1,582,340,258,327.58 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $1,565,239,754,536.31 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $1,562,175,502,411.86 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $1,575,816,366,707.79 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $1,577,892,150,404.99 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $1,557,332,007,118.38 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $1,536,969,557,517.21 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $1,509,588,982,082.63 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $1,471,137,560,262.95 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $1,433,773,453,713.24 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $1,428,534,571,048.86 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $1,417,957,958,877.38 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $1,416,870,643,607.42 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $1,411,512,156,263.34 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $1,410,428,794,867.09 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $1,424,321,718,611.96 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $1,417,500,297,995.57 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $1,448,430,463,552.37 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $1,497,702,649,245.06 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $1,511,304,963,272.32 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $1,512,525,721,779.97 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $1,493,407,753,928.69 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $1,495,101,988,812.99 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $1,489,961,952,991.33 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $1,490,465,083,420.80 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $1,471,453,870,159.67 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $1,400,604,407,168.74 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $1,435,169,171,132.50 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $1,507,383,709,021.46 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $1,548,874,671,254.90 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $1,559,597,576,753.61 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $1,561,624,925,497.89 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $1,550,135,956,968.06 | -0.74%* |
* 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 | 130.685 |