According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 231.18% higher in 2026 versus 1950 (a $5,211,130,677.46 difference in value).
Between 1950 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.59% per year. In other words, apparel costing $2,254,188,869 in the year 1950 would cost $7,465,319,546.46 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.49% 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 $2,254,188,869 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 | $2,254,188,869.00 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $2,457,970,527.20 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $2,431,390,310.92 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $2,416,001,764.64 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $2,407,141,692.55 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $2,399,680,579.20 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $2,448,177,815.94 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $2,490,146,578.50 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $2,499,939,289.76 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $2,519,524,712.29 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $2,557,296,598.59 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $2,577,348,340.70 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $2,591,804,247.81 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $2,623,513,979.52 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $2,645,897,319.55 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $2,671,078,577.09 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $2,742,891,793.02 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $2,854,808,493.18 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $3,007,294,997.14 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $3,180,299,562.80 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $3,311,335,365.90 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $3,418,588,870.22 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $3,489,469,446.99 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $3,617,241,013.00 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $3,885,374,773.79 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $4,058,379,339.45 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $4,210,399,523.83 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $4,398,792,635.76 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $4,553,144,418.06 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $4,752,729,200.01 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $5,088,945,620.07 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $5,331,431,803.74 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $5,471,327,678.94 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $5,606,560,358.29 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $5,709,616,986.35 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $5,877,025,717.01 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $5,926,921,912.49 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $6,187,594,559.94 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $6,456,194,640.32 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $6,635,727,680.16 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $6,943,498,605.59 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $7,202,305,974.70 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $7,379,507,416.62 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $7,479,299,807.59 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $7,464,843,900.49 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $7,384,170,612.46 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $7,369,714,705.35 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $7,434,066,807.94 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $7,443,859,519.21 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $7,346,865,045.74 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $7,250,803,211.44 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $7,121,632,686.67 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $6,940,234,368.50 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $6,763,965,565.75 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $6,739,250,627.80 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $6,689,354,432.31 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $6,684,224,916.89 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $6,658,945,732.24 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $6,653,834,869.60 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $6,719,376,087.13 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $6,687,195,372.64 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $6,833,111,433.67 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $7,065,557,756.70 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $7,129,727,994.65 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $7,135,487,041.51 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $7,045,296,170.77 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $7,053,288,888.44 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $7,029,040,270.07 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $7,031,413,836.76 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $6,941,726,591.17 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $6,607,487,366.15 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $6,770,549,998.28 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $7,111,229,096.75 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $7,306,966,742.13 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $7,357,553,090.60 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $7,367,117,305.27 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $7,465,319,546.46 | 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 |