According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 325.66% higher in 2026 versus 1945 (a $1,498,029,566.60 difference in value).
Between 1945 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.80% per year. In other words, apparel costing $460,000,000 in the year 1945 would cost $1,958,029,566.60 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.64% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1945: Pricing changed by 5.14%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for apparel during the 1945-2026 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 $460,000,000 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 | $460,000,000.00 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $504,764,690.24 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $584,998,670.57 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $623,892,581.76 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $599,308,694.50 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $591,236,373.30 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $644,684,924.22 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $637,713,374.10 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $633,677,213.51 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $631,353,363.47 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $629,396,437.12 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $642,116,458.39 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $653,124,169.10 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $655,692,634.94 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $660,829,566.60 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $670,736,506.25 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $675,995,745.81 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $679,787,290.61 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $688,104,227.60 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $693,975,006.65 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $700,579,633.08 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $719,415,049.19 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $748,768,944.43 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $788,763,626.70 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $834,139,856.42 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $868,508,375.43 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $896,639,191.70 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $915,229,992.02 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $948,742,355.76 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $1,019,069,396.44 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $1,064,445,626.16 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $1,104,318,000.53 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $1,153,730,390.85 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $1,194,214,304.71 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $1,246,562,084.55 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $1,334,746,078.17 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $1,398,346,184.53 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $1,435,038,553.58 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $1,470,507,843.66 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $1,497,537,888.86 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $1,541,446,423.82 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $1,554,533,368.78 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $1,622,903,483.12 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $1,693,352,831.69 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $1,740,441,371.98 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $1,821,164,583.89 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $1,889,045,466.63 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $1,935,522,467.43 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $1,961,696,357.35 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $1,957,904,812.55 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $1,936,745,546.40 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $1,932,954,001.60 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $1,949,832,491.36 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $1,952,400,957.19 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $1,926,960,914.65 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $1,901,765,487.90 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $1,867,886,200.48 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $1,820,308,428.61 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $1,774,076,043.61 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $1,767,593,725.07 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $1,754,506,780.11 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $1,753,161,393.25 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $1,746,531,082.16 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $1,745,190,587.61 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $1,762,380,962.51 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $1,753,940,494.55 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $1,792,211,858.55 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $1,853,178,675.88 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $1,870,009,465.57 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $1,871,519,968.09 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $1,847,864,397.77 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $1,849,960,755.12 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $1,843,600,744.48 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $1,844,223,291.68 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $1,820,699,813.88 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $1,733,034,405.74 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $1,775,803,031.11 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $1,865,157,511.30 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $1,916,496,251.00 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $1,929,764,211.65 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $1,932,272,746.61 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $1,958,029,566.60 | 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 |