According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 495.02% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $4,107,144,987.39 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 $829,700,000 in the year 1940 would cost $4,936,844,987.39 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 $829,700,000 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 | $829,700,000.00 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $868,062,132.21 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $1,015,803,897.59 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $1,059,872,793.27 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $1,134,060,718.38 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $1,192,396,522.74 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $1,308,434,046.62 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $1,516,413,870.84 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $1,617,233,358.81 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $1,553,507,833.40 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $1,532,583,034.01 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $1,671,130,569.35 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $1,653,059,151.70 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $1,642,596,752.01 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $1,636,572,946.12 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $1,631,500,267.48 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $1,664,472,678.64 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $1,693,006,495.99 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $1,699,664,386.70 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $1,712,980,168.13 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $1,738,660,603.74 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $1,752,293,427.59 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $1,762,121,742.45 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $1,783,680,626.67 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $1,798,898,662.59 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $1,816,018,953.00 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $1,864,843,484.91 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $1,940,933,664.50 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $2,044,606,534.20 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $2,162,229,270.16 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $2,251,318,188.77 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $2,324,237,944.21 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $2,372,428,391.29 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $2,459,298,012.99 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $2,641,597,401.60 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $2,759,220,137.56 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $2,862,575,964.85 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $2,990,661,100.50 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $3,095,602,139.85 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $3,231,296,293.47 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $3,459,883,874.67 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $3,624,745,930.45 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $3,719,858,654.95 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $3,811,800,955.29 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $3,881,867,329.00 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $3,995,685,555.98 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $4,029,609,094.38 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $4,206,835,804.36 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $4,389,452,235.38 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $4,511,513,565.15 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $4,720,761,559.04 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $4,896,720,099.35 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $5,017,196,217.04 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $5,085,043,293.85 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $5,075,214,978.98 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $5,020,366,641.19 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $5,010,538,326.33 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $5,054,290,179.59 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $5,060,948,070.31 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $4,995,003,247.99 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $4,929,692,510.51 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $4,841,871,761.56 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $4,718,542,262.13 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $4,598,700,229.27 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $4,581,896,981.28 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $4,547,973,442.87 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $4,544,485,976.31 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $4,527,299,106.99 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $4,523,824,322.12 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $4,568,384,633.55 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $4,546,505,536.49 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $4,645,711,278.56 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $4,803,747,411.16 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $4,847,375,617.88 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $4,851,291,091.71 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $4,789,971,918.23 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $4,795,406,025.22 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $4,778,919,819.64 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $4,780,533,565.53 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $4,719,556,797.86 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $4,492,313,476.50 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $4,603,176,868.17 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $4,834,798,545.28 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $4,967,877,098.97 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $5,002,269,860.15 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $5,020,986,891.44 | 0.37% |
| 2026 | $4,936,844,987.39 | -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 |