According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 495.02% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $39,111,702,649.69 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 $7,901,104,000 in the year 1940 would cost $47,012,806,649.69 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 $7,901,104,000 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 | $7,901,104,000.00 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $8,266,420,615.97 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $9,673,342,459.30 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $10,093,003,695.83 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $10,799,483,763.09 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $11,355,006,551.01 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $12,460,013,835.69 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $14,440,573,340.47 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $15,400,661,636.99 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $14,793,813,374.09 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $14,594,549,765.38 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $15,913,916,386.70 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $15,741,825,088.27 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $15,642,193,283.91 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $15,584,829,517.77 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $15,536,523,188.38 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $15,850,514,329.38 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $16,122,237,432.17 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $16,185,639,489.49 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $16,312,443,604.13 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $16,556,994,396.64 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $16,686,817,656.86 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $16,780,411,170.04 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $16,985,713,069.93 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $17,130,632,058.08 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $17,293,665,919.76 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $17,758,614,340.08 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $18,483,209,280.86 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $19,470,469,887.66 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $20,590,572,900.27 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $21,438,952,810.09 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $22,133,356,294.99 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $22,592,266,424.15 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $23,419,512,314.86 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $25,155,521,027.13 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $26,275,624,039.74 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $27,259,865,500.96 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $28,479,600,317.92 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $29,478,937,507.07 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $30,771,131,818.11 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $32,947,935,786.01 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $34,517,891,491.02 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $35,423,635,166.99 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $36,299,187,387.08 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $36,966,418,561.71 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $38,050,291,827.28 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $38,373,340,405.04 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $40,061,042,787.93 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $41,800,070,645.78 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $42,962,441,696.60 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $44,955,077,783.72 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $46,630,703,584.26 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $47,777,978,907.15 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $48,424,076,062.67 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $48,330,482,549.48 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $47,808,170,363.01 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $47,714,576,849.83 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $48,131,218,940.77 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $48,194,620,998.09 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $47,566,638,716.09 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $46,944,694,725.26 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $46,108,391,397.78 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $44,933,943,764.62 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $43,792,706,732.90 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $43,632,692,016.81 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $43,309,643,439.05 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $43,276,432,837.60 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $43,112,764,955.35 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $43,079,675,119.72 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $43,504,016,031.91 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $43,295,664,794.99 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $44,240,385,640.47 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $45,745,339,141.00 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $46,160,803,765.17 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $46,198,090,213.16 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $45,614,157,265.27 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $45,665,905,420.62 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $45,508,909,850.12 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $45,524,277,301.15 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $44,943,605,030.49 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $42,779,602,239.88 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $43,835,337,068.58 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $46,041,034,259.75 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $47,308,320,619.70 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $47,635,837,532.93 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $47,814,076,909.65 | 0.37% |
| 2026 | $47,012,806,649.69 | -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 |