Apparel priced at $1 in 1940 $1.58 in 1946

Apparel Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Apparel, 1940-1946 ($1)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel were 57.66% higher in 1946 versus 1940 (a $0.58 difference in value).

Between 1940 and 1946: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 7.88% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, apparel costing $1 in the year 1940 would cost $1.58 in 1946 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 5.68% during this same period, inflation for apparel was higher.

In the year 1940: Pricing changed by 0.90%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for apparel during the 1940-1946 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1940 (0.72%), inflation for apparel was higher.

Price Inflation for Apparel since 1913

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1918 (39.39%), 1919 (27.69%), and 1921 (-26.11%).

View price changes for other categories
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Buying power of $1.00 since 1940

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $1 beginning in 1940. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1940$1.000.90%
1941$1.054.59%
1942$1.2217.03%
1943$1.284.32%
1944$1.377.01%
1945$1.445.16%
1946$1.589.72%
1947$1.8315.90%
1948$1.956.64%
1949$1.87-3.94%
1950$1.85-1.34%
1951$2.019.03%
1952$1.99-1.07%
1953$1.98-0.65%
1954$1.97-0.34%
1955$1.97-0.32%
1956$2.012.01%
1957$2.041.72%
1958$2.050.38%
1959$2.060.79%
1960$2.091.50%
1961$2.110.79%
1962$2.120.55%
1963$2.151.23%
1964$2.170.85%
1965$2.190.96%
1966$2.252.67%
1967$2.344.08%
1968$2.465.34%
1969$2.615.75%
1970$2.714.13%
1971$2.803.24%
1972$2.862.06%
1973$2.963.66%
1974$3.187.41%
1975$3.324.45%
1976$3.453.74%
1977$3.604.48%
1978$3.733.51%
1979$3.894.38%
1980$4.177.07%
1981$4.374.77%
1982$4.482.62%
1983$4.592.47%
1984$4.681.84%
1985$4.812.92%
1986$4.860.85%
1987$5.074.40%
1988$5.294.34%
1989$5.442.78%
1990$5.694.64%
1991$5.903.73%
1992$6.052.46%
1993$6.131.35%
1994$6.12-0.20%
1995$6.05-1.08%
1996$6.04-0.20%
1997$6.090.88%
1998$6.100.13%
1999$6.02-1.30%
2000$5.94-1.31%
2001$5.83-1.78%
2002$5.69-2.55%
2003$5.54-2.54%
2004$5.52-0.37%
2005$5.48-0.74%
2006$5.48-0.07%
2007$5.46-0.38%
2008$5.45-0.08%
2009$5.500.98%
2010$5.48-0.48%
2011$5.602.18%
2012$5.793.40%
2013$5.840.91%
2014$5.850.08%
2015$5.77-1.26%
2016$5.780.11%
2017$5.76-0.34%
2018$5.760.03%
2019$5.69-1.28%
2020$5.41-4.81%
2021$5.552.47%
2022$5.835.03%
2023$5.992.75%
2024$5.96-0.47%*

* 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:

Year1913191419151916191719181919192019211922192319241925192619271928192919301931193219331934193519361937193819391940194119421943194419451946194719481949195019511952195319541955195619571958195919601961196219631964196519661967196819691970197119721973197419751976197719781979198019811982198319841985198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
CPI14.90015.00015.45017.35021.20029.55037.73342.80031.62526.86027.10026.76026.30025.83325.26724.96724.66724.06721.60019.20019.06720.66720.80021.03322.14021.86021.62021.81422.81526.70027.85429.80831.34634.39239.86242.50840.83140.28543.92343.45443.16943.02342.88543.74644.50044.66945.02345.70046.06246.31546.88547.28547.73849.01551.01553.73856.83159.17761.09262.35464.63869.43172.52375.23878.60881.36984.93190.93895.27797.777100.192102.038105.023105.915110.577115.377118.585124.085128.708131.877133.662133.400131.962131.700132.854133.023131.292129.577127.269124.023120.877120.431119.538119.454118.998118.907120.078119.503122.111126.265127.411127.514125.903126.045125.612125.654124.052118.079120.993127.081130.579129.966

Adjust apparel prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 1946 / CPI in 1940 * 1940 USD value = 1946 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Apparel was 21.814 in the year 1940 and 34.392 in 1946:

34.392 / 21.814 * $1 = $1.58

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $1 in 1940 has the same "purchasing power" as $1.58 in 1946 (in the CPI category of Apparel).


Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Apparel in 1913. In addition to apparel, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.

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