According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 511.73% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $1,510,695,935.16 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 $295,212,467 in the year 1940 would cost $1,805,908,402.16 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 $295,212,467 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 | $295,212,467.00 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $308,861,954.39 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $361,429,401.71 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $377,109,391.36 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $403,505,920.70 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $424,262,165.99 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $465,549,045.21 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $539,549,571.90 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $575,421,778.44 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $552,747,836.57 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $545,302,661.63 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $594,598,744.19 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $588,168,820.38 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $584,446,232.91 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $582,302,924.97 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $580,498,034.08 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $592,229,824.89 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $602,382,336.18 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $604,751,255.48 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $609,489,094.08 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $618,626,354.23 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $623,476,998.51 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $626,973,974.62 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $634,644,760.93 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $640,059,433.61 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $646,150,940.38 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $663,523,015.24 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $690,596,378.67 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $727,483,836.33 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $769,334,743.96 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $801,033,140.30 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $826,978,446.92 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $844,124,910.42 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $875,033,666.99 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $939,896,933.53 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $981,747,841.15 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $1,018,522,493.14 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $1,064,095,988.24 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $1,101,434,668.62 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $1,149,715,500.06 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $1,231,048,396.01 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $1,289,707,350.10 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $1,323,549,054.38 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $1,356,262,701.85 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $1,381,192,757.34 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $1,421,689,996.79 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $1,433,760,204.65 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $1,496,818,580.29 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $1,561,794,652.51 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $1,605,224,839.67 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $1,679,676,589.08 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $1,742,283,742.00 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $1,785,149,900.75 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $1,809,290,316.47 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $1,805,793,340.37 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $1,786,277,957.56 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $1,782,780,981.46 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $1,798,348,165.42 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $1,800,717,084.72 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $1,777,253,503.09 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $1,754,015,532.82 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $1,722,768,359.20 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $1,678,886,949.32 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $1,636,246,401.92 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $1,630,267,700.83 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $1,618,197,492.97 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $1,616,956,630.48 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $1,610,841,434.52 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $1,609,605,084.26 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $1,625,459,922.71 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $1,617,675,202.67 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $1,652,973,228.29 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $1,709,203,476.07 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $1,724,726,665.82 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $1,726,119,815.98 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $1,704,302,069.23 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $1,706,235,558.60 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $1,700,369,663.19 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $1,700,943,844.11 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $1,679,247,927.50 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $1,598,393,327.63 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $1,637,839,218.14 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $1,720,251,664.46 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $1,767,601,849.03 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $1,779,839,009.30 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $1,782,152,653.81 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $1,805,908,402.16 | 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 |