According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 511.73% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $43,394,852.73 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 $8,480,000 in the year 1940 would cost $51,874,852.73 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 $8,480,000 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 | $8,480,000.00 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $8,872,082.54 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $10,382,086.36 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $10,832,495.22 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $11,590,737.49 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $12,186,962.17 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $13,372,930.84 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $15,498,601.45 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $16,529,033.24 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $15,877,722.58 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $15,663,859.38 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $17,079,893.01 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $16,895,192.97 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $16,788,261.37 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $16,726,694.69 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $16,674,849.06 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $17,011,845.62 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $17,303,477.26 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $17,371,524.65 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $17,507,619.41 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $17,770,087.89 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $17,909,423.00 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $18,009,873.90 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $18,230,217.81 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $18,385,754.68 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $18,560,733.66 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $19,059,747.80 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $19,837,432.17 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $20,897,027.13 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $22,099,197.55 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $23,009,736.34 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $23,755,017.20 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $24,247,550.63 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $25,135,406.95 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $26,998,609.09 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $28,200,779.52 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $29,257,134.12 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $30,566,236.15 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $31,638,792.51 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $33,025,662.97 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $35,361,956.44 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $37,046,939.24 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $38,019,044.71 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $38,958,746.66 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $39,674,864.35 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $40,838,150.55 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $41,184,868.17 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $42,996,224.68 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $44,862,667.18 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $46,110,202.52 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $48,248,834.54 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $50,047,229.65 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $51,278,563.24 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $51,971,998.47 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $51,871,547.57 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $51,310,966.76 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $51,210,515.86 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $51,657,684.37 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $51,725,731.75 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $51,051,738.63 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $50,384,226.21 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $49,486,648.83 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $48,226,152.08 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $47,001,299.20 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $46,829,560.57 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $46,482,842.95 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $46,447,199.08 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $46,271,539.63 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $46,236,025.37 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $46,691,456.78 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $46,467,840.12 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $47,481,778.53 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $49,096,996.56 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $49,542,901.34 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $49,582,919.68 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $48,956,203.29 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $49,011,742.91 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $48,843,244.63 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $48,859,738.02 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $48,236,521.21 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $45,913,966.83 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $47,047,052.96 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $49,414,356.59 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $50,774,494.15 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $51,126,007.49 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $51,192,467.10 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $51,874,852.73 | 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 |