According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 495.02% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $28,710,908,674,054.26 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2026: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 2.10% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, apparel costing $5,800,000,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $34,510,908,674,054.26 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.72% 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 $5,800,000,000,000 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 | $5,800,000,000,000.00 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $6,068,169,659,915.94 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $7,100,955,292,319.45 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $7,409,017,959,495.61 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $7,927,627,053,878.49 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $8,335,422,239,205.20 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $9,146,580,053,496.37 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $10,600,458,540,313.34 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $11,305,235,001,910.59 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $10,859,763,087,504.78 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $10,713,488,727,550.63 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $11,682,002,292,701.57 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $11,555,674,436,377.53 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $11,482,537,256,400.46 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $11,440,427,970,959.12 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $11,404,967,520,061.14 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $11,635,460,450,897.98 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $11,834,925,487,199.08 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $11,881,467,329,002.68 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $11,974,551,012,609.86 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $12,154,069,545,280.86 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $12,249,369,507,069.16 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $12,318,074,130,683.99 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $12,468,781,047,000.38 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $12,575,162,399,694.31 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $12,694,841,421,474.97 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $13,036,148,261,367.98 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $13,568,055,024,837.60 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $14,292,777,990,064.96 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $15,115,017,195,261.75 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $15,737,791,364,157.43 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $16,247,535,345,815.82 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $16,584,409,629,346.58 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $17,191,669,850,974.40 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $18,466,029,805,120.37 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $19,288,269,010,317.15 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $20,010,775,697,363.39 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $20,906,152,082,537.26 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $21,639,740,160,489.11 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $22,588,307,222,009.94 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $24,186,243,790,599.92 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $25,338,708,444,784.10 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $26,003,591,899,121.13 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $26,646,312,571,646.92 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $27,136,110,049,675.21 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $27,931,753,916,698.51 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $28,168,895,682,078.72 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $29,407,795,185,326.71 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $30,684,371,417,653.80 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $31,537,638,517,386.32 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $33,000,382,116,927.78 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $34,230,416,507,451.28 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $35,072,602,216,278.18 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $35,546,885,747,038.59 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $35,478,181,123,423.77 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $35,094,764,998,089.42 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $35,026,060,374,474.60 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $35,331,906,763,469.63 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $35,378,448,605,273.21 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $34,917,462,743,599.54 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $34,460,909,438,288.12 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $33,847,000,382,116.93 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $32,984,868,169,659.92 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $32,147,115,017,195.26 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $32,029,652,273,595.73 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $31,792,510,508,215.52 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $31,768,131,448,223.16 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $31,647,987,008,024.46 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $31,623,696,599,159.35 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $31,935,194,497,516.24 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $31,782,249,140,236.92 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $32,475,744,745,892.24 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $33,580,492,930,836.84 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $33,885,474,971,341.23 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $33,912,846,006,878.11 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $33,484,195,643,867.02 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $33,522,182,651,891.48 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $33,406,936,186,473.06 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $33,418,217,042,414.99 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $32,991,960,259,839.51 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $31,403,420,710,737.49 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $32,178,408,865,112.73 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $33,797,555,215,896.06 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $34,727,837,982,422.62 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $34,968,259,839,510.89 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $35,099,100,844,131.03 | 0.37% |
| 2026 | $34,510,908,674,054.26 | -1.68%* |
* 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 | 131.975 | 129.763 |