According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 502.31% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $87,486,187.60 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2025: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 2.13% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, apparel costing $17,416,911 in the year 1940 would cost $104,903,098.60 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.75% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1940: Pricing changed by 0.90%, which is below the average yearly change for apparel during the 1940-2025 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 $17,416,911 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 | $17,416,911.00 | 0.90% |
| 1941 | $18,216,206.04 | 4.59% |
| 1942 | $21,317,751.58 | 17.03% |
| 1943 | $22,239,002.73 | 4.32% |
| 1944 | $23,798,988.00 | 7.01% |
| 1945 | $25,027,322.87 | 5.16% |
| 1946 | $27,459,425.90 | 9.72% |
| 1947 | $31,826,156.35 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $33,938,892.31 | 6.64% |
| 1949 | $32,600,007.31 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $32,163,948.43 | -1.34% |
| 1951 | $35,068,960.39 | 9.03% |
| 1952 | $34,694,318.25 | -1.07% |
| 1953 | $34,467,076.30 | -0.65% |
| 1954 | $34,350,384.49 | -0.34% |
| 1955 | $34,239,834.35 | -0.32% |
| 1956 | $34,927,701.88 | 2.01% |
| 1957 | $35,529,585.96 | 1.72% |
| 1958 | $35,664,702.80 | 0.38% |
| 1959 | $35,947,219.82 | 0.79% |
| 1960 | $36,487,687.16 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $36,776,345.85 | 0.79% |
| 1962 | $36,979,021.10 | 0.55% |
| 1963 | $37,433,505.00 | 1.23% |
| 1964 | $37,752,872.07 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $38,115,230.85 | 0.96% |
| 1966 | $39,134,748.79 | 2.67% |
| 1967 | $40,731,584.11 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $42,905,736.83 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $45,374,689.90 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $47,247,900.57 | 4.13% |
| 1971 | $48,777,177.48 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $49,784,412.07 | 2.06% |
| 1973 | $51,608,489.34 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $55,434,752.45 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $57,903,705.52 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $60,071,716.56 | 3.74% |
| 1977 | $62,761,769.91 | 4.48% |
| 1978 | $64,966,631.00 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $67,810,226.21 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $72,606,873.85 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $76,070,778.17 | 4.77% |
| 1982 | $78,066,822.33 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $79,995,308.07 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $81,469,309.90 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $83,852,279.54 | 2.92% |
| 1986 | $84,564,713.76 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $88,286,568.40 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $92,118,973.18 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $94,680,051.37 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $99,071,348.52 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $102,762,494.78 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $105,292,864.61 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $106,717,733.05 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $106,508,916.12 | -0.20% |
| 1995 | $105,360,423.02 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $105,151,606.10 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $106,072,857.24 | 0.88% |
| 1998 | $106,207,974.08 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $104,826,097.36 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $103,456,503.98 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $101,614,001.69 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $99,022,215.12 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $96,510,270.32 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $96,154,053.21 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $95,441,618.99 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $95,374,060.57 | -0.07% |
| 2007 | $95,010,289.20 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $94,937,387.53 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $95,872,518.86 | 0.98% |
| 2010 | $95,413,367.29 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $97,495,333.47 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $100,811,899.02 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $101,727,438.41 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $101,809,614.01 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $100,522,810.41 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $100,636,799.88 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $100,290,839.37 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $100,324,680.00 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $99,045,062.15 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $94,276,113.45 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $96,602,702.52 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $101,463,530.66 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $104,256,334.23 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $104,978,103.80 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $104,903,098.60 | -0.07%* |
* 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 | 1913 | 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 |
| CPI | 14.900 | 15.000 | 15.450 | 17.350 | 21.200 | 29.550 | 37.733 | 42.800 | 31.625 | 26.860 | 27.100 | 26.760 | 26.300 | 25.833 | 25.267 | 24.967 | 24.667 | 24.067 | 21.600 | 19.200 | 19.067 | 20.667 | 20.800 | 21.033 | 22.140 | 21.860 | 21.620 | 21.814 | 22.815 | 26.700 | 27.854 | 29.808 | 31.346 | 34.392 | 39.862 | 42.508 | 40.831 | 40.285 | 43.923 | 43.454 | 43.169 | 43.023 | 42.885 | 43.746 | 44.500 | 44.669 | 45.023 | 45.700 | 46.062 | 46.315 | 46.885 | 47.285 | 47.738 | 49.015 | 51.015 | 53.738 | 56.831 | 59.177 | 61.092 | 62.354 | 64.638 | 69.431 | 72.523 | 75.238 | 78.608 | 81.369 | 84.931 | 90.938 | 95.277 | 97.777 | 100.192 | 102.038 | 105.023 | 105.915 | 110.577 | 115.377 | 118.585 | 124.085 | 128.708 | 131.877 | 133.662 | 133.400 | 131.962 | 131.700 | 132.854 | 133.023 | 131.292 | 129.577 | 127.269 | 124.023 | 120.877 | 120.431 | 119.538 | 119.454 | 118.998 | 118.907 | 120.078 | 119.503 | 122.111 | 126.265 | 127.411 | 127.514 | 125.903 | 126.045 | 125.612 | 125.654 | 124.052 | 118.079 | 120.993 | 127.081 | 130.579 | 131.483 | 131.389 |