According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 502.31% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $1,474,299,692.03 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 $293,506,292 in the year 1940 would cost $1,767,805,984.03 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 $293,506,292 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 | $293,506,292.00 | 0.90% |
| 1941 | $306,975,851.82 | 4.59% |
| 1942 | $359,242,475.28 | 17.03% |
| 1943 | $374,767,214.92 | 4.32% |
| 1944 | $401,055,774.04 | 7.01% |
| 1945 | $421,755,426.90 | 5.16% |
| 1946 | $462,740,739.55 | 9.72% |
| 1947 | $536,328,005.44 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $571,931,408.35 | 6.64% |
| 1949 | $549,368,786.74 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $542,020,409.98 | -1.34% |
| 1951 | $590,975,088.97 | 9.03% |
| 1952 | $584,661,694.85 | -1.07% |
| 1953 | $580,832,259.08 | -0.65% |
| 1954 | $578,865,792.06 | -0.34% |
| 1955 | $577,002,823.30 | -0.32% |
| 1956 | $588,594,628.90 | 2.01% |
| 1957 | $598,737,458.80 | 1.72% |
| 1958 | $601,014,420.61 | 0.38% |
| 1959 | $605,775,340.77 | 0.79% |
| 1960 | $614,883,188.02 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $619,747,606.44 | 0.79% |
| 1962 | $623,163,049.16 | 0.55% |
| 1963 | $630,821,920.72 | 1.23% |
| 1964 | $636,203,830.46 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $642,310,228.05 | 0.96% |
| 1966 | $659,490,939.92 | 2.67% |
| 1967 | $686,400,488.63 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $723,038,874.18 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $764,645,176.42 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $796,212,147.02 | 4.13% |
| 1971 | $821,983,214.82 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $838,956,930.16 | 2.06% |
| 1973 | $869,695,914.65 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $934,175,333.29 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $975,781,635.53 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $1,012,316,522.81 | 3.74% |
| 1977 | $1,057,648,762.56 | 4.48% |
| 1978 | $1,094,804,639.44 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $1,142,724,335.79 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $1,223,556,480.19 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $1,281,929,501.23 | 4.77% |
| 1982 | $1,315,566,437.12 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $1,348,064,892.10 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $1,372,904,475.53 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $1,413,061,802.06 | 2.92% |
| 1986 | $1,425,067,600.72 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $1,487,787,548.86 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $1,552,370,465.77 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $1,595,529,241.97 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $1,669,530,500.92 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $1,731,732,957.75 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $1,774,374,242.62 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $1,798,385,839.93 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $1,794,866,898.95 | -0.20% |
| 1995 | $1,775,512,723.53 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $1,771,993,782.55 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $1,787,518,522.19 | 0.88% |
| 1998 | $1,789,795,484.00 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $1,766,508,374.54 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $1,743,428,261.61 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $1,712,378,782.33 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $1,668,702,514.81 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $1,626,371,724.72 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $1,620,368,825.39 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $1,608,363,026.74 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $1,607,224,545.83 | -0.07% |
| 2007 | $1,601,094,343.64 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $1,599,865,819.24 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $1,615,624,464.96 | 0.98% |
| 2010 | $1,607,886,934.72 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $1,642,971,811.33 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $1,698,861,909.01 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $1,714,290,395.27 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $1,715,675,202.04 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $1,693,990,245.71 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $1,695,911,173.50 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $1,690,081,116.27 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $1,690,651,391.71 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $1,669,087,528.35 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $1,588,722,161.13 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $1,627,929,373.60 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $1,709,843,074.85 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $1,756,906,840.56 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $1,769,069,956.58 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $1,767,805,984.03 | -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 |