According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 495.02% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $29,527,684,524.26 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 $5,965,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $35,492,684,524.26 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 $5,965,000,000 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 | $5,965,000,000.00 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $6,240,798,624.38 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $7,302,965,227.36 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $7,619,791,746.27 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $8,153,154,375.24 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $8,572,550,630.49 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $9,406,784,486.05 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $10,902,023,309.13 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $11,626,849,445.93 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $11,168,704,623.61 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $11,018,269,010.32 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $12,014,335,116.55 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $11,884,413,450.52 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $11,809,195,643.87 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $11,765,888,421.86 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $11,729,419,182.27 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $11,966,469,239.59 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $12,171,608,712.27 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $12,219,474,589.22 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $12,315,206,343.14 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $12,499,831,868.55 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $12,597,842,949.94 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $12,668,502,101.64 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $12,823,496,369.89 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $12,932,904,088.65 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $13,055,987,772.26 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $13,407,004,203.29 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $13,954,042,797.10 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $14,699,382,881.16 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $15,545,013,374.09 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $16,185,504,394.34 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $16,709,749,713.41 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $17,056,207,489.49 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $17,680,743,217.42 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $18,991,356,515.09 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $19,836,987,008.02 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $20,580,047,764.62 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $21,500,896,064.20 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $22,255,353,458.16 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $23,230,905,617.12 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $24,874,300,726.02 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $26,059,551,012.61 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $26,743,349,254.87 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $27,404,354,222.39 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $27,908,085,594.19 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $28,726,364,157.43 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $28,970,252,197.17 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $30,244,396,255.25 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $31,557,288,880.40 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $32,434,829,957.97 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $33,939,186,090.94 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $35,204,212,839.13 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $36,070,357,279.33 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $36,558,133,358.81 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $36,487,474,207.11 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $36,093,150,554.07 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $36,022,491,402.37 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $36,337,038,593.81 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $36,384,904,470.77 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $35,910,804,356.13 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $35,441,262,896.45 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $34,809,889,186.09 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $33,923,230,798.62 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $33,061,645,013.37 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $32,940,840,657.24 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $32,696,952,617.50 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $32,671,880,015.28 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $32,548,317,672.91 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $32,523,336,243.79 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $32,843,695,720.29 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $32,686,399,331.30 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $33,399,623,691.25 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $34,535,800,057.32 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $34,849,458,311.04 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $34,877,608,005.35 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $34,436,763,278.56 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $34,475,830,951.47 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $34,357,305,922.81 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $34,368,907,699.66 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $33,930,524,646.54 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $32,296,793,886.13 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $33,093,829,117.31 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $34,759,037,390.14 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $35,715,785,097.44 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $35,963,046,541.84 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $36,097,609,747.46 | 0.37% |
| 2026 | $35,492,684,524.26 | -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 |