According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 511.73% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $3,152,794,298.92 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 2.13% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, apparel costing $616,102,924 in the year 1940 would cost $3,768,897,222.92 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.73% 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 $616,102,924 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 | $616,102,924.00 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $644,589,150.14 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $754,296,434.27 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $787,020,280.83 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $842,109,346.25 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $885,427,243.85 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $971,592,192.34 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $1,126,029,914.21 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $1,200,894,541.58 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $1,153,574,446.92 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $1,138,036,505.39 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $1,240,916,512.19 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $1,227,497,380.87 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $1,219,728,410.10 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $1,215,255,366.33 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $1,211,488,592.63 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $1,235,972,621.70 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $1,257,160,723.79 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $1,262,104,614.28 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $1,271,992,395.25 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $1,291,061,687.13 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $1,301,184,891.46 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $1,308,483,015.51 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $1,324,491,803.75 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $1,335,792,124.87 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $1,348,504,986.12 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $1,384,760,183.02 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $1,441,261,788.59 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $1,518,245,226.17 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $1,605,587,291.43 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $1,671,741,254.61 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $1,725,888,626.61 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $1,761,672,976.80 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $1,826,178,976.49 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $1,961,547,406.48 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $2,048,889,471.75 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $2,125,637,485.97 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $2,220,748,522.01 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $2,298,673,653.01 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $2,399,434,849.60 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $2,569,175,089.65 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $2,691,595,235.04 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $2,762,222,241.99 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $2,830,495,015.38 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $2,882,523,577.17 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $2,967,040,562.16 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $2,992,230,861.31 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $3,123,832,517.60 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $3,259,436,370.95 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $3,350,074,363.21 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $3,505,453,778.51 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $3,636,113,741.38 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $3,725,574,616.85 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $3,775,955,215.15 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $3,768,657,091.09 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $3,727,928,850.42 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $3,720,630,726.36 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $3,753,119,149.56 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $3,758,063,040.05 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $3,709,094,981.90 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $3,660,597,770.45 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $3,595,385,500.70 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $3,503,805,815.01 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $3,414,815,786.25 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $3,402,338,348.36 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $3,377,148,049.21 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $3,374,558,392.29 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $3,361,796,092.13 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $3,359,215,852.14 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $3,392,304,604.90 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $3,376,058,039.07 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $3,449,724,361.56 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $3,567,075,842.08 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $3,599,472,450.17 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $3,602,379,928.62 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $3,556,846,697.24 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $3,560,881,853.57 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $3,548,639,839.03 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $3,549,838,143.91 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $3,504,559,169.75 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $3,335,817,124.74 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $3,418,139,964.05 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $3,590,133,205.61 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $3,688,952,159.51 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $3,714,490,885.23 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $3,719,319,418.27 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $3,768,897,222.92 | 1.33%* |
* 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 | 133.409 |