According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 499.24% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $703,933,205,961.02 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 $141,000,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $844,933,205,961.02 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 $141,000,000,000 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 | $141,000,000,000.00 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $147,519,296,904.85 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $172,626,671,761.56 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $180,115,781,429.12 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $192,723,347,344.29 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $202,636,988,918.61 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $222,356,515,093.62 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $257,700,802,445.55 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $274,834,161,253.34 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $264,004,585,403.13 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $260,448,605,273.21 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $283,993,504,012.23 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $280,922,430,263.66 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $279,144,440,198.70 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $278,120,748,949.18 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $277,258,693,160.11 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $282,862,055,789.07 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $287,711,119,602.60 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $288,842,567,825.75 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $291,105,464,272.07 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $295,469,621,704.24 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $297,786,396,637.37 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $299,456,629,728.70 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $303,120,366,832.25 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $305,706,534,199.47 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $308,615,972,487.58 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $316,913,259,457.39 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $329,844,096,293.47 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $347,462,361,482.61 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $367,451,280,091.71 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $382,591,134,887.28 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $394,983,186,855.18 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $403,172,716,851.36 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $417,935,422,239.21 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $448,915,552,158.96 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $468,904,470,768.05 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $486,468,857,470.39 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $508,235,766,144.44 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $526,069,545,280.86 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $549,129,537,638.52 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $587,975,926,633.55 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $615,992,739,778.37 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $632,156,285,823.46 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $647,781,047,000.38 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $659,688,192,586.93 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $679,030,569,354.22 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $684,795,567,443.64 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $714,913,641,574.32 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $745,947,649,980.89 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $766,690,867,405.43 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $802,250,668,704.62 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $832,153,228,888.04 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $852,627,053,878.49 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $864,157,050,057.32 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $862,486,816,965.99 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $853,165,838,746.66 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $851,495,605,655.33 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $858,930,836,836.07 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $860,062,285,059.23 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $848,855,559,801.30 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $837,756,591,517.00 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $822,832,250,668.70 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $801,873,519,296.90 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $781,507,451,280.09 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $778,651,891,478.79 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $772,886,893,389.38 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $772,294,230,034.39 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $769,373,477,264.04 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $768,782,969,048.53 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $776,355,590,370.65 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $772,637,435,995.41 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $789,496,553,305.31 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $816,353,362,628.96 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $823,767,581,199.85 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $824,432,980,512.04 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $814,012,342,376.77 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $814,935,819,640.81 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $812,134,138,326.33 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $812,408,379,824.23 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $802,045,930,454.72 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $763,427,986,243.79 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $782,268,215,513.95 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $821,630,221,627.82 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $844,245,716,469.24 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $850,090,454,719.14 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $851,195,502,483.76 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $844,933,205,961.02 | -0.74%* |
* 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 | 130.685 |