According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 183.95% higher in 2026 versus 1960 (a $1,655,507,658,643.33 difference in value).
Between 1960 and 2026: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.59% per year. In other words, apparel costing $900,000,000,000 in the year 1960 would cost $2,555,507,658,643.33 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.69% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1960: Pricing changed by 1.50%, which is below the average yearly change for apparel during the 1960-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1960 (1.46%), inflation for apparel was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $900,000,000,000 beginning in 1960. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | $900,000,000,000.00 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $907,056,892,778.99 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $912,144,420,131.29 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $923,304,157,549.23 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $931,181,619,256.02 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $940,043,763,676.15 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $965,317,286,652.08 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $1,004,704,595,186.00 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $1,058,369,803,063.46 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $1,119,256,017,505.47 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $1,165,371,991,247.27 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $1,203,118,161,925.60 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $1,228,063,457,330.42 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $1,273,030,634,573.30 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $1,367,396,061,269.15 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $1,428,282,275,711.16 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $1,481,783,369,803.06 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $1,548,085,339,168.49 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $1,602,407,002,188.18 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $1,672,647,702,407.00 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $1,790,973,741,794.31 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $1,876,312,910,284.46 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $1,925,547,045,951.86 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $1,973,140,043,763.68 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $2,009,409,190,371.99 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $2,068,326,039,387.31 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $2,085,886,214,442.01 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $2,177,625,820,568.93 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $2,272,155,361,050.33 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $2,335,339,168,490.15 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $2,443,654,266,958.43 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $2,534,737,417,943.11 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $2,597,100,656,455.14 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $2,632,221,006,564.55 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $2,627,133,479,212.25 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $2,598,741,794,310.72 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $2,593,654,266,958.43 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $2,616,301,969,365.43 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $2,619,748,358,862.14 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $2,585,612,691,466.08 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $2,551,805,251,641.14 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $2,506,345,733,041.58 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $2,442,505,470,459.52 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $2,380,470,459,518.60 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $2,371,772,428,884.03 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $2,354,212,253,829.32 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $2,352,407,002,188.18 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $2,343,510,393,873.09 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $2,341,711,706,783.37 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $2,364,777,899,343.55 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $2,353,452,407,002.19 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $2,404,805,251,641.14 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $2,486,611,050,328.23 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $2,509,194,748,358.86 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $2,511,221,553,610.50 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $2,479,480,306,345.73 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $2,482,293,216,630.20 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $2,473,759,299,781.18 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $2,474,594,638,949.67 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $2,443,030,634,573.30 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $2,325,400,437,636.76 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $2,382,787,746,170.68 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $2,502,684,354,485.78 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $2,571,571,115,973.74 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $2,589,374,179,431.07 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $2,599,062,860,553.01 | 0.37% |
| 2026 | $2,555,507,658,643.33 | -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 |