According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 511.73% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $63,966,469,239.59 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 2.13% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, apparel costing $12,500,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $76,466,469,239.59 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.73% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1940: Pricing changed by 0.85%, which is below the average yearly change for apparel during the 1940-2026 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 $12,500,000,000 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 | $12,500,000,000.00 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $13,077,951,853.27 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $15,303,782,957.59 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $15,967,711,119.60 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $17,085,403,133.36 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $17,964,272,067.25 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $19,712,457,011.85 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $22,845,815,819.64 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $24,364,730,607.57 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $23,404,661,826.52 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $23,089,415,361.10 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $25,176,729,079.10 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $24,904,470,768.06 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $24,746,847,535.35 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $24,656,094,765.00 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $24,579,671,379.44 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $25,076,423,385.56 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $25,506,304,929.31 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $25,606,610,622.85 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $25,807,222,009.94 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $26,194,115,399.31 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $26,399,503,247.99 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $26,547,573,557.51 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $26,872,372,946.12 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $27,101,643,102.79 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $27,359,572,029.04 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $28,095,147,115.02 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $29,241,497,898.36 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $30,803,400,840.66 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $32,575,468,093.24 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $33,917,653,802.06 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $35,016,239,969.43 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $35,742,262,132.21 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $37,051,012,609.86 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $39,797,478,028.28 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $41,569,545,280.86 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $43,126,671,761.56 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $45,056,362,246.85 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $46,637,371,035.54 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $48,681,696,599.16 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $52,125,525,410.78 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $54,609,285,441.35 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $56,042,223,920.52 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $57,427,397,783.72 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $58,482,995,796.71 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $60,197,745,510.13 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $60,708,826,901.03 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $63,378,868,933.89 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $66,130,110,813.91 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $67,969,048,528.85 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $71,121,513,183.03 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $73,772,449,369.51 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $75,587,504,776.46 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $76,609,667,558.27 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $76,461,597,248.76 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $75,635,269,392.43 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $75,487,199,082.92 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $76,146,350,783.34 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $76,246,656,476.88 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $75,253,152,464.65 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $74,269,201,375.62 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $72,946,121,513.18 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $71,088,077,951.85 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $69,282,575,468.09 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $69,029,423,003.44 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $68,518,341,612.53 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $68,465,800,534.96 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $68,206,868,551.78 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $68,154,518,532.67 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $68,825,850,210.16 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $68,496,226,595.34 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $69,990,829,193.73 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $72,371,752,006.11 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $73,029,040,886.51 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $73,088,030,187.24 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $72,164,214,749.71 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $72,246,083,301.49 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $71,997,707,298.43 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $72,022,019,487.96 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $71,103,362,628.96 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $67,679,786,014.52 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $69,350,019,105.85 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $72,839,558,654.95 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $74,844,478,410.39 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $75,362,628,964.46 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $75,460,594,191.82 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $76,466,469,239.59 | 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 |