According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 511.73% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $11,535,400,235.93 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 $2,254,188,869 in the year 1940 would cost $13,789,589,104.93 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 $2,254,188,869 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 | $2,254,188,869.00 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $2,358,413,879.76 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $2,759,809,375.73 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $2,879,538,933.54 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $3,081,098,045.25 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $3,239,588,970.70 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $3,554,848,094.14 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $4,119,902,697.91 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $4,393,816,362.54 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $4,220,682,253.76 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $4,163,832,247.90 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $4,540,248,195.83 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $4,491,150,463.49 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $4,462,725,460.56 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $4,446,359,549.78 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $4,432,577,730.18 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $4,522,159,557.60 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $4,599,682,292.88 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $4,617,770,931.11 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $4,653,948,207.57 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $4,723,718,669.31 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $4,760,757,309.50 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $4,787,459,584.98 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $4,846,032,318.30 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $4,887,377,777.11 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $4,933,891,418.28 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $5,066,541,431.97 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $5,273,268,726.03 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $5,554,934,664.19 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $5,874,500,606.26 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $6,116,543,813.06 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $6,314,657,469.87 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $6,445,584,756.11 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $6,681,598,416.83 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $7,176,882,558.85 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $7,496,448,500.92 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $7,777,253,075.35 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $8,125,244,020.36 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $8,410,355,413.42 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $8,779,019,087.83 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $9,400,062,333.74 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $9,847,971,470.87 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $10,106,380,588.45 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $10,356,176,068.78 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $10,546,537,452.06 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $10,855,767,029.43 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $10,947,932,948.03 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $11,429,435,270.45 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $11,925,580,776.20 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $12,257,205,810.42 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $12,825,705,869.09 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $13,303,762,736.61 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $13,631,080,952.21 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $13,815,412,789.41 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $13,788,710,513.93 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $13,639,694,589.46 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $13,612,992,313.98 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $13,731,860,508.06 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $13,749,949,146.29 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $13,570,785,491.44 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $13,393,344,564.04 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $13,154,746,812.14 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $12,819,676,323.01 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $12,494,080,834.87 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $12,448,428,557.43 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $12,356,262,638.82 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $12,346,787,637.85 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $12,300,093,110.30 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $12,290,652,563.87 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $12,411,717,235.46 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $12,352,274,524.78 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $12,621,803,848.05 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $13,051,167,824.18 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $13,169,700,086.41 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $13,180,337,928.42 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $13,013,741,570.31 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $13,028,505,344.57 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $12,983,714,430.85 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $12,988,098,772.21 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $12,822,432,686.93 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $12,205,041,623.22 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $12,506,243,290.67 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $13,135,529,787.43 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $13,497,087,211.11 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $13,590,527,948.02 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $13,608,194,518.03 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $13,789,589,104.93 | 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 |