According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 211.10% higher in 2026 versus 1955 (a $40,964,520,192.77 difference in value).
Between 1955 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.61% per year. In other words, apparel costing $19,405,600,000 in the year 1955 would cost $60,370,120,192.77 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.58% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1955: Pricing changed by -0.31%, which is below the average yearly change for apparel during the 1955-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1955 (-0.28%), inflation for apparel was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $19,405,600,000 beginning in 1955. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1955 | $19,405,600,000.00 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $19,797,784,687.14 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $20,137,175,281.77 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $20,216,366,420.52 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $20,374,748,698.02 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $20,680,200,233.19 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $20,842,353,517.29 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $20,959,254,722.11 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $21,215,683,171.40 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $21,396,691,488.53 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $21,600,325,845.32 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $22,181,060,862.81 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $23,086,102,448.50 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $24,319,221,609.02 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $25,718,265,060.24 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $26,777,917,916.83 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $27,645,249,436.46 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $28,218,442,440.73 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $29,251,698,251.07 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $31,420,027,050.14 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $32,819,070,501.36 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $34,048,418,655.27 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $35,571,905,324.52 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $36,820,108,511.47 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $38,434,099,339.29 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $41,152,995,102.99 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $43,113,918,538.67 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $44,245,220,520.79 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $45,338,812,436.84 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $46,172,204,897.01 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $47,525,996,268.95 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $47,929,493,975.90 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $50,037,486,669.26 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $52,209,586,474.93 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $53,661,424,018.66 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $56,150,288,379.32 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $58,243,197,046.25 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $59,676,179,556.94 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $60,483,174,970.85 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $60,366,273,766.03 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $59,713,889,623.01 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $59,596,988,418.19 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $60,117,387,329.97 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $60,196,578,468.71 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $59,412,209,094.44 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $58,635,381,733.39 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $57,590,812,903.23 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $56,123,891,333.07 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $54,698,450,835.60 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $54,498,587,485.43 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $54,095,089,778.47 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $54,053,608,705.79 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $53,849,182,437.62 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $53,807,852,205.21 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $54,337,867,183.83 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $54,077,630,017.88 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $55,257,615,695.30 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $57,137,349,358.73 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $57,656,277,577.92 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $57,702,849,509.52 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $56,973,499,121.65 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $57,038,134,174.89 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $56,842,041,831.33 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $56,861,236,254.96 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $56,135,958,554.22 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $53,433,051,858.53 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $54,751,697,448.89 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $57,506,681,745.82 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $59,089,561,769.14 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $59,498,640,565.88 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $59,575,983,911.39 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $60,370,120,192.77 | 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 |