According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 202.60% higher in 2026 versus 1955 (a $1,823,358,725,223.47 difference in value).
Between 1955 and 2026: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.57% per year. In other words, apparel costing $900,000,000,000 in the year 1955 would cost $2,723,358,725,223.47 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.57% 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 $900,000,000,000 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 | $900,000,000,000.00 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $918,188,884,570.54 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $933,929,265,448.89 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $937,602,020,987.17 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $944,947,532,063.74 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $959,113,874,854.26 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $966,634,279,051.69 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $972,055,965,798.68 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $983,948,698,017.88 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $992,343,567,819.67 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $1,001,787,796,346.68 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $1,028,721,336,960.75 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $1,070,695,685,969.69 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $1,127,885,736,494.36 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $1,192,771,084,337.35 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $1,241,916,051,301.98 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $1,282,141,469,102.22 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $1,308,725,223,474.54 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $1,356,645,938,593.08 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $1,457,209,483,093.67 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $1,522,094,830,936.65 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $1,579,109,988,340.46 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $1,649,766,809,172.17 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $1,707,656,432,180.33 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $1,782,510,687,912.94 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $1,908,608,628,060.63 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $1,999,553,050,913.33 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $2,052,020,987,174.50 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $2,102,739,992,226.97 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $2,141,391,371,939.37 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $2,204,178,002,331.91 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $2,222,891,566,265.06 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $2,320,656,820,831.71 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $2,421,395,258,453.17 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $2,488,729,109,988.34 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $2,604,158,569,762.92 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $2,701,224,251,846.09 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $2,767,683,637,776.91 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $2,805,110,765,643.22 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $2,799,689,078,896.23 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $2,769,432,568,985.62 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $2,764,010,882,238.63 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $2,788,146,132,918.77 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $2,791,818,888,457.05 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $2,755,441,119,315.97 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $2,719,413,136,416.64 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $2,670,967,741,935.48 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $2,602,934,317,916.83 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $2,536,824,718,227.75 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $2,527,555,382,821.61 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $2,508,841,818,888.46 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $2,506,917,994,558.88 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $2,497,437,038,476.49 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $2,495,520,209,871.75 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $2,520,101,438,010.11 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $2,508,032,063,738.83 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $2,562,757,870,190.44 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $2,649,936,844,150.80 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $2,674,003,886,513.80 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $2,676,163,816,556.55 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $2,642,337,738,048.97 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $2,645,335,406,140.69 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $2,636,240,963,855.42 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $2,637,131,169,840.65 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $2,603,493,975,903.61 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $2,478,137,582,588.42 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $2,539,294,209,094.44 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $2,667,065,876,408.86 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $2,740,477,263,894.29 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $2,759,449,669,646.33 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $2,769,774,723,527.54 | 0.37% |
| 2026 | $2,723,358,725,223.47 | -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 |