According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 222.13% higher in 2026 versus 1950 (a $27,422,935,028.85 difference in value).
Between 1950 and 2026: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.55% per year. In other words, apparel costing $12,345,678,900 in the year 1950 would cost $39,768,613,928.85 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.48% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1950: Pricing changed by -1.35%, which is below the average yearly change for apparel during the 1950-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1950 (1.09%), inflation for apparel was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $12,345,678,900 beginning in 1950. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | $12,345,678,900.00 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $13,461,744,617.69 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $13,316,170,828.42 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $13,231,891,266.22 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $13,183,366,669.80 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $13,142,503,851.76 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $13,408,112,169.01 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $13,637,965,520.48 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $13,691,597,969.16 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $13,798,862,866.51 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $14,005,730,882.83 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $14,115,549,706.31 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $14,194,721,416.26 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $14,368,388,392.93 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $14,490,976,847.04 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $14,628,888,857.92 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $15,022,193,481.55 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $15,635,135,752.13 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $16,470,269,595.80 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $17,417,776,189.08 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $18,135,429,430.89 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $18,722,832,440.19 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $19,111,029,211.56 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $19,810,804,970.48 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $21,279,312,493.75 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $22,226,819,087.03 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $23,059,399,004.57 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $24,091,185,160.05 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $24,936,534,708.23 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $26,029,615,090.77 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $27,870,995,828.65 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $29,199,037,414.92 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $29,965,215,253.14 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $30,705,853,830.10 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $31,270,271,504.26 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $32,187,130,984.01 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $32,460,401,079.64 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $33,888,045,784.88 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $35,359,107,234.28 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $36,342,368,793.34 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $38,027,960,037.44 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $39,445,389,038.17 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $40,415,880,966.59 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $40,962,421,157.86 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $40,883,249,447.91 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $40,441,420,227.87 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $40,362,248,517.91 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $40,714,690,323.50 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $40,768,322,772.18 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $40,237,106,137.67 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $39,710,997,355.42 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $39,003,559,818.12 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $38,010,082,554.55 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $37,044,698,478.38 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $36,909,340,393.63 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $36,636,070,297.99 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $36,607,977,110.59 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $36,469,528,775.22 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $36,441,537,744.87 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $36,800,492,062.08 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $36,624,245,620.02 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $37,423,394,644.56 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $38,696,450,201.30 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $39,047,895,975.69 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $39,079,436,963.37 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $38,585,482,111.06 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $38,629,256,404.89 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $38,496,452,246.26 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $38,509,451,730.25 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $38,018,255,118.16 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $36,187,703,027.06 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $37,080,759,915.30 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $38,946,581,726.22 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $40,018,592,218.21 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $40,295,642,124.51 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $40,446,416,636.07 | 0.37% |
| 2026 | $39,768,613,928.85 | -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 |