According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 511.73% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $757,362,995,796.71 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 $148,000,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $905,362,995,796.71 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 $148,000,000,000 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 | $148,000,000,000.00 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $154,842,949,942.68 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $181,196,790,217.81 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $189,057,699,656.09 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $202,291,173,098.97 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $212,696,981,276.27 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $233,395,491,020.25 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $270,494,459,304.55 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $288,478,410,393.58 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $277,111,196,025.98 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $273,378,677,875.43 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $298,092,472,296.52 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $294,868,933,893.77 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $293,002,674,818.49 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $291,928,162,017.58 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $291,023,309,132.59 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $296,904,852,884.98 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $301,994,650,363.01 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $303,182,269,774.55 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $305,557,508,597.63 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $310,138,326,327.86 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $312,570,118,456.25 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $314,323,270,920.90 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $318,168,895,682.08 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $320,883,454,337.03 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $323,937,332,823.84 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $332,646,541,841.80 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $346,219,335,116.55 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $364,712,265,953.38 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $385,693,542,223.92 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $401,585,021,016.43 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $414,592,281,238.06 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $423,188,383,645.40 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $438,683,989,300.73 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $471,202,139,854.80 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $492,183,416,125.33 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $510,619,793,656.86 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $533,467,329,002.67 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $552,186,473,060.76 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $576,391,287,734.05 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $617,166,220,863.58 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $646,573,939,625.53 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $663,539,931,218.95 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $679,940,389,759.27 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $692,438,670,233.09 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $712,741,306,839.89 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $718,792,510,508.22 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $750,405,808,177.30 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $782,980,512,036.68 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $804,753,534,581.58 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $842,078,716,087.12 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $873,465,800,534.96 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $894,956,056,553.31 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $907,058,463,889.95 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $905,305,311,425.30 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $895,521,589,606.42 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $893,768,437,141.77 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $901,572,793,274.74 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $902,760,412,686.28 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $890,997,325,181.51 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $879,347,344,287.35 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $863,682,078,716.09 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $841,682,842,949.94 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $820,305,693,542.22 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $817,308,368,360.72 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $811,257,164,692.40 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $810,635,078,333.97 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $807,569,323,653.04 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $806,949,499,426.82 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $814,898,066,488.35 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $810,995,322,888.80 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $828,691,417,653.80 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $856,881,543,752.39 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $864,663,844,096.29 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $865,362,277,416.89 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $854,424,302,636.61 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $855,393,626,289.64 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $852,452,854,413.45 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $852,740,710,737.49 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $841,863,813,526.94 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $801,328,666,411.92 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $821,104,226,213.22 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $862,420,374,474.59 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $886,158,624,379.06 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $892,293,526,939.24 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $893,453,435,231.18 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $905,362,995,796.71 | 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 |