According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 511.73% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $1,596,603,072.22 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 $312,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $1,908,603,072.22 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 $312,000,000 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 | $312,000,000.00 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $326,425,678.26 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $381,982,422.62 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $398,554,069.55 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $426,451,662.21 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $448,388,230.80 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $492,022,927.02 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $570,231,562.86 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $608,143,675.96 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $584,180,359.19 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $576,311,807.41 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $628,411,157.81 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $621,615,590.37 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $617,681,314.48 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $615,416,125.33 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $613,508,597.63 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $625,907,527.70 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $636,637,371.04 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $639,141,001.15 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $644,148,261.37 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $653,805,120.37 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $658,931,601.07 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $662,627,436.00 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $670,734,428.74 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $676,457,011.85 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $682,894,917.84 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $701,254,871.99 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $729,867,787.54 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $768,852,884.98 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $813,083,683.61 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $846,584,638.90 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $874,005,349.64 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $892,126,862.82 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $924,793,274.74 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $993,345,051.59 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $1,037,575,850.21 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $1,076,441,727.17 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $1,124,606,801.68 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $1,164,068,781.05 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $1,215,095,147.12 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $1,301,053,114.25 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $1,363,047,764.62 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $1,398,813,909.06 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $1,433,387,848.68 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $1,459,735,575.09 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $1,502,535,727.93 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $1,515,292,319.45 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $1,581,936,568.59 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $1,650,607,565.92 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $1,696,507,451.28 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $1,775,192,969.05 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $1,841,360,336.26 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $1,886,664,119.22 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $1,912,177,302.25 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $1,908,481,467.33 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $1,887,856,324.04 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $1,884,160,489.11 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $1,900,612,915.55 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $1,903,116,545.66 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $1,878,318,685.52 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $1,853,759,266.34 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $1,820,735,192.97 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $1,774,358,425.68 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $1,729,293,083.68 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $1,722,974,398.17 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $1,710,217,806.65 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $1,708,906,381.35 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $1,702,443,439.05 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $1,701,136,782.58 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $1,717,893,221.25 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $1,709,665,815.82 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $1,746,971,096.68 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $1,806,398,930.07 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $1,822,804,860.53 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $1,824,277,233.47 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $1,801,218,800.15 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $1,803,262,239.21 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $1,797,062,774.17 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $1,797,669,606.42 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $1,774,739,931.22 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $1,689,287,458.92 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $1,730,976,476.88 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $1,818,075,384.03 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $1,868,118,181.12 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $1,881,051,218.95 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $1,883,496,431.03 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $1,908,603,072.22 | 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 |