According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 319.15% higher in 2025 versus 1945 (a $590,435,444,785.28 difference in value).
Between 1945 and 2025: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.81% per year. In other words, apparel costing $185,000,000,000 in the year 1945 would cost $775,435,444,785.28 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.67% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1945: Pricing changed by 5.16%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for apparel during the 1945-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1945 (2.27%), inflation for apparel was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $185,000,000,000 beginning in 1945. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1945 | $185,000,000,000.00 | 5.16% |
| 1946 | $202,977,914,110.43 | 9.72% |
| 1947 | $235,256,441,717.79 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $250,873,619,631.90 | 6.64% |
| 1949 | $240,976,687,116.56 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $237,753,374,233.13 | -1.34% |
| 1951 | $259,226,993,865.03 | 9.03% |
| 1952 | $256,457,668,711.66 | -1.07% |
| 1953 | $254,777,914,110.43 | -0.65% |
| 1954 | $253,915,337,423.31 | -0.34% |
| 1955 | $253,098,159,509.20 | -0.32% |
| 1956 | $258,182,822,085.89 | 2.01% |
| 1957 | $262,631,901,840.49 | 1.72% |
| 1958 | $263,630,674,846.63 | 0.38% |
| 1959 | $265,719,018,404.91 | 0.79% |
| 1960 | $269,714,110,429.45 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $271,847,852,760.74 | 0.79% |
| 1962 | $273,346,012,269.94 | 0.55% |
| 1963 | $276,705,521,472.39 | 1.23% |
| 1964 | $279,066,257,668.71 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $281,744,785,276.07 | 0.96% |
| 1966 | $289,280,981,595.09 | 2.67% |
| 1967 | $301,084,662,576.69 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $317,155,828,220.86 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $335,406,134,969.33 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $349,252,760,736.20 | 4.13% |
| 1971 | $360,557,055,214.72 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $368,002,453,987.73 | 2.06% |
| 1973 | $381,485,889,570.55 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $409,769,325,153.37 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $428,019,631,901.84 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $444,045,398,773.01 | 3.74% |
| 1977 | $463,930,061,349.69 | 4.48% |
| 1978 | $480,228,220,858.90 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $501,247,852,760.74 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $536,704,294,478.53 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $562,309,202,453.99 | 4.77% |
| 1982 | $577,063,803,680.98 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $591,319,018,404.91 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $602,214,723,926.38 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $619,829,447,852.76 | 2.92% |
| 1986 | $625,095,705,521.47 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $652,607,361,963.19 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $680,936,196,319.02 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $699,867,484,662.58 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $732,327,607,361.96 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $759,612,269,938.65 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $778,316,564,417.18 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $788,849,079,754.60 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $787,305,521,472.39 | -0.20% |
| 1995 | $778,815,950,920.25 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $777,272,392,638.04 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $784,082,208,588.96 | 0.88% |
| 1998 | $785,080,981,595.09 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $774,866,257,668.71 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $764,742,331,288.34 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $751,122,699,386.50 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $731,964,417,177.91 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $713,396,319,018.40 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $710,763,190,184.05 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $705,496,932,515.34 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $704,997,546,012.27 | -0.07% |
| 2007 | $702,308,576,687.12 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $701,769,693,251.53 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $708,682,110,429.45 | 0.98% |
| 2010 | $705,288,098,159.51 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $720,677,828,220.86 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $745,193,619,631.90 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $751,961,214,723.93 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $752,568,650,306.75 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $743,056,699,386.50 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $743,899,300,613.50 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $741,341,987,730.06 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $741,592,134,969.33 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $732,133,300,613.50 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $696,881,607,361.96 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $714,079,570,552.15 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $750,010,429,447.85 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $770,654,613,496.93 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $775,989,877,300.61 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $775,435,444,785.28 | -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 |