According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 495.02% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $69,302,193,351.17 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 $14,000,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $83,302,193,351.17 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 $14,000,000,000 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 | $14,000,000,000.00 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $14,647,306,075.66 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $17,140,236,912.50 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $17,883,836,453.95 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $19,135,651,509.36 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $20,119,984,715.32 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $22,077,951,853.27 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $25,587,313,718.00 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $27,288,498,280.47 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $26,213,221,245.70 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $25,860,145,204.43 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $28,197,936,568.59 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $27,893,007,260.22 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $27,716,469,239.59 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $27,614,826,136.80 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $27,529,231,944.98 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $28,085,594,191.82 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $28,567,061,520.83 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $28,679,403,897.59 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $28,904,088,651.13 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $29,337,409,247.23 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $29,567,443,637.75 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $29,733,282,384.41 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $30,097,057,699.66 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $30,353,840,275.12 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $30,642,720,672.53 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $31,466,564,768.82 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $32,750,477,646.16 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $34,499,808,941.54 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $36,484,524,264.42 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $37,987,772,258.31 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $39,218,188,765.76 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $40,031,333,588.08 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $41,497,134,123.04 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $44,573,175,391.67 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $46,557,890,714.56 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $48,301,872,372.95 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $50,463,125,716.47 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $52,233,855,559.80 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $54,523,500,191.06 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $58,380,588,460.07 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $61,162,399,694.31 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $62,767,290,790.98 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $64,318,685,517.77 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $65,500,955,292.32 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $67,421,474,971.34 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $67,993,886,129.16 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $70,984,333,205.96 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $74,065,724,111.58 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $76,125,334,352.31 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $79,656,094,765.00 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $82,625,143,293.85 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $84,658,005,349.64 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $85,802,827,665.27 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $85,636,988,918.61 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $84,711,501,719.53 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $84,545,662,972.87 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $85,283,912,877.34 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $85,396,255,254.11 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $84,283,530,760.41 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $83,181,505,540.70 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $81,699,656,094.77 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $79,618,647,306.08 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $77,596,484,524.26 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $77,312,953,763.85 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $76,740,542,606.04 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $76,681,696,599.16 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $76,391,692,777.99 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $76,333,060,756.59 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $77,084,952,235.38 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $76,715,773,786.78 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $78,389,728,696.98 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $81,056,362,246.85 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $81,792,525,792.89 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $81,858,593,809.71 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $80,823,920,519.68 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $80,915,613,297.67 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $80,637,432,174.25 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $80,664,661,826.52 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $79,635,766,144.44 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $75,801,360,336.26 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $77,672,021,398.55 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $81,580,305,693.54 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $83,825,815,819.64 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $84,406,144,440.20 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $84,721,967,554.80 | 0.37% |
| 2026 | $83,302,193,351.17 | -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 |