According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 523.01% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $214,434,386,702.33 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 2.15% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, apparel costing $41,000,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $255,434,386,702.33 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.74% 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 $41,000,000,000 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 | $41,000,000,000.00 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $42,895,682,078.72 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $50,196,408,100.88 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $52,374,092,472.30 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $56,040,122,277.42 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $58,922,812,380.59 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $64,656,858,998.85 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $74,934,275,888.42 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $79,916,316,392.82 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $76,767,290,790.98 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $75,733,282,384.41 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $82,579,671,379.44 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $81,686,664,119.22 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $81,169,659,915.93 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $80,871,990,829.19 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $80,621,322,124.57 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $82,250,668,704.62 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $83,660,680,168.13 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $83,989,682,842.95 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $84,647,688,192.59 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $85,916,698,509.74 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $86,590,370,653.42 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $87,076,041,268.63 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $88,141,383,263.28 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $88,893,389,377.15 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $89,739,396,255.25 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $92,152,082,537.26 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $95,912,113,106.61 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $101,035,154,757.36 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $106,847,535,345.82 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $111,249,904,470.77 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $114,853,267,099.73 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $117,234,619,793.66 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $121,527,321,360.34 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $130,535,727,932.75 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $136,348,108,521.21 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $141,455,483,377.91 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $147,784,868,169.66 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $152,970,576,996.56 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $159,675,964,845.24 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $170,971,723,347.34 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $179,118,456,247.61 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $183,818,494,459.30 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $188,361,864,730.61 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $191,824,226,213.22 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $197,448,605,273.21 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $199,124,952,235.38 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $207,882,690,103.17 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $216,906,763,469.62 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $222,938,479,174.63 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $233,278,563,240.35 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $241,973,633,931.98 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $247,927,015,666.79 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $251,279,709,591.13 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $250,794,038,975.93 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $248,083,683,607.18 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $247,598,012,991.98 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $249,760,030,569.35 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $250,089,033,244.17 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $246,830,340,084.07 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $243,602,980,512.04 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $239,263,278,563.24 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $233,168,895,682.08 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $227,246,847,535.35 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $226,416,507,451.28 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $224,740,160,489.11 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $224,567,825,754.68 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $223,718,528,849.83 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $223,546,820,787.16 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $225,748,788,689.34 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $224,667,623,232.71 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $229,569,919,755.45 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $237,379,346,580.05 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $239,535,254,107.76 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $239,728,739,014.14 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $236,698,624,379.06 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $236,967,153,228.89 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $236,152,479,938.86 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $236,232,223,920.52 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $233,219,029,423.00 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $221,989,698,127.63 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $227,468,062,667.18 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $238,913,752,388.23 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $245,489,889,186.09 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $247,189,423,003.44 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $247,510,748,949.18 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $255,434,386,702.33 | 3.20%* |
* 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 | 135.868 |