According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 502.31% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $60,276,719.06 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2025: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 2.13% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, apparel costing $12,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $72,276,719.06 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.75% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1940: Pricing changed by 0.90%, which is below the average yearly change for apparel during the 1940-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1940 (0.72%), inflation for apparel was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $12,000,000 beginning in 1940. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | $12,000,000.00 | 0.90% |
| 1941 | $12,550,702.74 | 4.59% |
| 1942 | $14,687,622.79 | 17.03% |
| 1943 | $15,322,351.52 | 4.32% |
| 1944 | $16,397,158.83 | 7.01% |
| 1945 | $17,243,463.81 | 5.16% |
| 1946 | $18,919,147.65 | 9.72% |
| 1947 | $21,927,761.83 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $23,383,406.38 | 6.64% |
| 1949 | $22,460,933.96 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $22,160,495.69 | -1.34% |
| 1951 | $24,162,006.95 | 9.03% |
| 1952 | $23,903,883.94 | -1.07% |
| 1953 | $23,747,317.52 | -0.65% |
| 1954 | $23,666,918.54 | -0.34% |
| 1955 | $23,590,751.10 | -0.32% |
| 1956 | $24,064,681.88 | 2.01% |
| 1957 | $24,479,371.32 | 1.72% |
| 1958 | $24,572,464.86 | 0.38% |
| 1959 | $24,767,115.01 | 0.79% |
| 1960 | $25,139,489.19 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $25,338,370.86 | 0.79% |
| 1962 | $25,478,011.18 | 0.55% |
| 1963 | $25,791,144.02 | 1.23% |
| 1964 | $26,011,183.32 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $26,260,843.28 | 0.96% |
| 1966 | $26,963,276.41 | 2.67% |
| 1967 | $28,063,472.87 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $29,561,432.67 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $31,262,505.67 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $32,553,120.75 | 4.13% |
| 1971 | $33,606,770.44 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $34,300,740.52 | 2.06% |
| 1973 | $35,557,503.40 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $38,193,743.39 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $39,894,816.38 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $41,388,544.66 | 3.74% |
| 1977 | $43,241,952.55 | 4.48% |
| 1978 | $44,761,069.97 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $46,720,265.98 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $50,025,086.90 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $52,411,666.92 | 4.77% |
| 1982 | $53,786,912.50 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $55,115,611.30 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $56,131,177.27 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $57,773,008.92 | 2.92% |
| 1986 | $58,263,865.80 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $60,828,169.87 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $63,468,641.38 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $65,233,187.24 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $68,258,727.52 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $70,801,873.96 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $72,545,262.20 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $73,526,975.97 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $73,383,104.13 | -0.20% |
| 1995 | $72,591,808.98 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $72,447,937.13 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $73,082,665.86 | 0.88% |
| 1998 | $73,175,759.41 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $72,223,666.31 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $71,280,036.27 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $70,010,578.81 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $68,224,875.32 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $66,494,181.65 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $66,248,753.21 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $65,757,896.33 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $65,711,349.55 | -0.07% |
| 2007 | $65,460,716.34 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $65,410,488.14 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $66,054,780.11 | 0.98% |
| 2010 | $65,738,431.31 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $67,172,875.93 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $69,457,941.67 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $70,088,735.08 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $70,145,352.88 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $69,258,763.79 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $69,337,300.89 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $69,098,939.10 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $69,122,254.80 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $68,240,616.59 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $64,954,879.85 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $66,557,866.10 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $69,906,906.45 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $71,831,107.75 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $72,328,396.55 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $72,276,719.06 | -0.07%* |
* 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 | 1913 | 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 |
| CPI | 14.900 | 15.000 | 15.450 | 17.350 | 21.200 | 29.550 | 37.733 | 42.800 | 31.625 | 26.860 | 27.100 | 26.760 | 26.300 | 25.833 | 25.267 | 24.967 | 24.667 | 24.067 | 21.600 | 19.200 | 19.067 | 20.667 | 20.800 | 21.033 | 22.140 | 21.860 | 21.620 | 21.814 | 22.815 | 26.700 | 27.854 | 29.808 | 31.346 | 34.392 | 39.862 | 42.508 | 40.831 | 40.285 | 43.923 | 43.454 | 43.169 | 43.023 | 42.885 | 43.746 | 44.500 | 44.669 | 45.023 | 45.700 | 46.062 | 46.315 | 46.885 | 47.285 | 47.738 | 49.015 | 51.015 | 53.738 | 56.831 | 59.177 | 61.092 | 62.354 | 64.638 | 69.431 | 72.523 | 75.238 | 78.608 | 81.369 | 84.931 | 90.938 | 95.277 | 97.777 | 100.192 | 102.038 | 105.023 | 105.915 | 110.577 | 115.377 | 118.585 | 124.085 | 128.708 | 131.877 | 133.662 | 133.400 | 131.962 | 131.700 | 132.854 | 133.023 | 131.292 | 129.577 | 127.269 | 124.023 | 120.877 | 120.431 | 119.538 | 119.454 | 118.998 | 118.907 | 120.078 | 119.503 | 122.111 | 126.265 | 127.411 | 127.514 | 125.903 | 126.045 | 125.612 | 125.654 | 124.052 | 118.079 | 120.993 | 127.081 | 130.579 | 131.483 | 131.389 |