According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 386.76% higher in 2024 versus 1942 (a $19,338,108,614,232.21 difference in value).
Between 1942 and 2024: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.95% per year. In other words, apparel costing $5,000,000,000,000 in the year 1942 would cost $24,338,108,614,232.21 in 2024 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.65% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1942: Pricing changed by 17.03%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for apparel during the 1942-2024 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1942 (10.92%), inflation for apparel was much higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $5,000,000,000,000 beginning in 1942. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
---|---|---|
1942 | $5,000,000,000,000.00 | 17.03% |
1943 | $5,216,076,058,772.69 | 4.32% |
1944 | $5,581,964,851,627.77 | 7.01% |
1945 | $5,870,066,263,324.69 | 5.16% |
1946 | $6,440,507,058,484.59 | 9.72% |
1947 | $7,464,707,577,067.13 | 15.90% |
1948 | $7,960,242,005,185.83 | 6.64% |
1949 | $7,646,211,466,436.18 | -3.94% |
1950 | $7,543,935,465,283.78 | -1.34% |
1951 | $8,225,295,303,946.99 | 9.03% |
1952 | $8,137,424,373,379.43 | -1.07% |
1953 | $8,084,125,612,215.50 | -0.65% |
1954 | $8,056,755,978,104.29 | -0.34% |
1955 | $8,030,826,851,051.57 | -0.32% |
1956 | $8,192,163,641,601.84 | 2.01% |
1957 | $8,333,333,333,333.33 | 1.72% |
1958 | $8,365,024,488,619.99 | 0.38% |
1959 | $8,431,287,813,310.28 | 0.79% |
1960 | $8,558,052,434,456.93 | 1.50% |
1961 | $8,625,756,266,205.70 | 0.79% |
1962 | $8,673,292,999,135.70 | 0.55% |
1963 | $8,779,890,521,463.56 | 1.23% |
1964 | $8,854,796,888,504.75 | 0.85% |
1965 | $8,939,786,804,955.34 | 0.96% |
1966 | $9,178,910,976,663.79 | 2.67% |
1967 | $9,553,442,811,869.78 | 4.08% |
1968 | $10,063,382,310,573.32 | 5.34% |
1969 | $10,642,466,148,084.12 | 5.75% |
1970 | $11,081,820,800,921.92 | 4.13% |
1971 | $11,440,507,058,484.59 | 3.24% |
1972 | $11,676,750,216,076.06 | 2.06% |
1973 | $12,104,580,812,445.98 | 3.66% |
1974 | $13,002,016,709,881.88 | 7.41% |
1975 | $13,581,100,547,392.68 | 4.45% |
1976 | $14,089,599,539,037.74 | 3.74% |
1977 | $14,720,541,630,653.99 | 4.48% |
1978 | $15,237,683,664,649.95 | 3.51% |
1979 | $15,904,638,432,728.32 | 4.38% |
1980 | $17,029,674,445,404.78 | 7.07% |
1981 | $17,842,120,426,390.09 | 4.77% |
1982 | $18,310,285,220,397.58 | 2.62% |
1983 | $18,762,604,436,761.74 | 2.47% |
1984 | $19,108,326,130,798.04 | 1.84% |
1985 | $19,667,242,869,490.06 | 2.92% |
1986 | $19,834,341,688,274.27 | 0.85% |
1987 | $20,707,288,965,715.93 | 4.40% |
1988 | $21,606,165,370,210.31 | 4.34% |
1989 | $22,206,856,813,598.38 | 2.78% |
1990 | $23,236,819,360,414.87 | 4.64% |
1991 | $24,102,564,102,564.10 | 3.73% |
1992 | $24,696,053,010,659.75 | 2.46% |
1993 | $25,030,250,648,228.17 | 1.35% |
1994 | $24,981,273,408,239.70 | -0.20% |
1995 | $24,711,898,588,303.08 | -1.08% |
1996 | $24,662,921,348,314.61 | -0.20% |
1997 | $24,878,997,407,087.30 | 0.88% |
1998 | $24,910,688,562,373.96 | 0.13% |
1999 | $24,586,574,474,214.92 | -1.30% |
2000 | $24,265,341,400,172.86 | -1.31% |
2001 | $23,833,189,282,627.49 | -1.78% |
2002 | $23,225,295,303,946.99 | -2.55% |
2003 | $22,636,127,917,026.79 | -2.54% |
2004 | $22,552,578,507,634.69 | -0.37% |
2005 | $22,385,479,688,850.47 | -0.74% |
2006 | $22,369,634,111,207.14 | -0.07% |
2007 | $22,284,312,878,133.10 | -0.38% |
2008 | $22,267,214,059,348.89 | -0.08% |
2009 | $22,486,545,664,073.76 | 0.98% |
2010 | $22,378,853,356,381.45 | -0.48% |
2011 | $22,867,170,844,137.14 | 2.18% |
2012 | $23,645,059,060,789.40 | 3.40% |
2013 | $23,859,795,447,997.69 | 0.91% |
2014 | $23,879,069,432,440.22 | 0.08% |
2015 | $23,577,254,393,546.53 | -1.26% |
2016 | $23,603,990,204,552.00 | 0.11% |
2017 | $23,522,846,441,947.56 | -0.34% |
2018 | $23,530,783,635,839.82 | 0.03% |
2019 | $23,230,653,990,204.55 | -1.28% |
2020 | $22,112,114,664,361.85 | -4.81% |
2021 | $22,657,807,548,256.99 | 2.47% |
2022 | $23,797,896,859,694.61 | 5.03% |
2023 | $24,452,938,634,399.31 | 2.75% |
2024 | $24,338,108,614,232.21 | -0.47%* |
* 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 |
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 | 129.966 |