According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 495.02% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $64,352,036,683.23 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 2.10% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, apparel costing $13,000,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $77,352,036,683.23 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.72% 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 $13,000,000,000 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 | $13,000,000,000.00 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $13,601,069,927.40 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $15,915,934,275.89 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $16,606,419,564.39 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $17,768,819,258.69 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $18,682,842,949.94 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $20,500,955,292.32 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $23,759,648,452.43 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $25,339,319,831.87 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $24,340,848,299.58 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $24,012,991,975.54 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $26,183,798,242.26 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $25,900,649,598.78 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $25,736,721,436.76 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $25,642,338,555.60 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $25,562,858,234.62 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $26,079,480,320.98 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $26,526,557,126.48 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $26,630,875,047.76 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $26,839,510,890.33 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $27,241,880,015.28 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $27,455,483,377.91 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $27,609,476,499.81 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $27,947,267,863.97 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $28,185,708,826.90 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $28,453,954,910.20 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $29,218,952,999.62 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $30,411,157,814.29 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $32,035,536,874.28 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $33,878,486,816.97 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $35,274,359,954.15 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $36,416,889,568.21 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $37,171,952,617.50 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $38,533,053,114.25 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $41,389,377,149.41 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $43,232,327,092.09 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $44,851,738,632.02 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $46,858,616,736.72 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $48,502,865,876.96 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $50,628,964,463.13 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $54,210,546,427.21 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $56,793,656,859.00 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $58,283,912,877.34 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $59,724,493,695.07 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $60,822,315,628.58 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $62,605,655,330.53 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $63,137,179,977.07 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $65,914,023,691.25 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $68,775,315,246.47 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $70,687,810,470.00 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $73,966,373,710.36 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $76,723,347,344.29 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $78,611,004,967.52 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $79,674,054,260.60 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $79,520,061,138.71 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $78,660,680,168.13 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $78,506,687,046.24 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $79,192,204,814.67 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $79,296,522,735.96 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $78,263,278,563.24 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $77,239,969,430.65 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $75,863,966,373.71 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $73,931,601,069.93 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $72,053,878,486.82 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $71,790,599,923.58 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $71,259,075,277.03 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $71,204,432,556.36 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $70,935,143,293.85 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $70,880,699,273.98 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $71,578,884,218.57 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $71,236,075,659.15 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $72,790,462,361.48 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $75,266,622,086.36 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $75,950,202,521.97 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $76,011,551,394.73 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $75,050,783,339.70 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $75,135,926,633.55 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $74,877,615,590.37 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $74,902,900,267.48 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $73,947,497,134.12 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $70,386,977,455.10 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $72,124,019,870.08 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $75,753,141,001.15 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $77,838,257,546.81 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $78,377,134,123.04 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $78,670,398,443.74 | 0.37% |
| 2026 | $77,352,036,683.23 | -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 |