According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 511.73% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $47,079,321,360.34 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 $9,200,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $56,279,321,360.34 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 $9,200,000,000 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 | $9,200,000,000.00 | 0.85% |
| 1941 | $9,625,372,564.00 | 4.62% |
| 1942 | $11,263,584,256.78 | 17.02% |
| 1943 | $11,752,235,384.03 | 4.34% |
| 1944 | $12,574,856,706.15 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $13,221,704,241.50 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $14,508,368,360.72 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $16,814,520,443.26 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $17,932,441,727.17 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $17,225,831,104.32 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $16,993,809,705.77 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $18,530,072,602.22 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $18,329,690,485.29 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $18,213,679,786.01 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $18,146,885,747.04 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $18,090,638,135.27 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $18,456,247,611.77 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $18,772,640,427.97 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $18,846,465,418.42 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $18,994,115,399.31 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $19,278,868,933.89 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $19,430,034,390.52 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $19,539,014,138.33 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $19,778,066,488.35 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $19,946,809,323.65 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $20,136,645,013.37 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $20,678,028,276.65 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $21,521,742,453.19 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $22,671,303,018.72 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $23,975,544,516.62 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $24,963,393,198.32 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $25,771,952,617.50 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $26,306,304,929.31 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $27,269,545,280.86 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $29,290,943,828.81 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $30,595,185,326.71 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $31,741,230,416.51 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $33,161,482,613.68 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $34,325,105,082.16 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $35,829,728,696.98 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $38,364,386,702.33 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $40,192,434,084.83 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $41,247,076,805.50 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $42,266,564,768.82 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $43,043,484,906.38 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $44,305,540,695.45 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $44,681,696,599.16 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $46,646,847,535.35 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $48,671,761,559.04 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $50,025,219,717.23 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $52,345,433,702.71 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $54,296,522,735.96 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $55,632,403,515.48 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $56,384,715,322.89 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $56,275,735,575.09 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $55,667,558,272.83 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $55,558,578,525.03 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $56,043,714,176.54 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $56,117,539,166.99 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $55,386,320,213.99 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $54,662,132,212.46 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $53,688,345,433.70 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $52,320,825,372.56 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $50,991,975,544.52 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $50,805,655,330.53 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $50,429,499,426.82 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $50,390,829,193.73 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $50,200,255,254.11 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $50,161,725,640.05 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $50,655,825,754.68 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $50,413,222,774.17 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $51,513,250,286.59 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $53,265,609,476.50 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $53,749,374,092.47 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $53,792,790,217.81 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $53,112,862,055.79 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $53,173,117,309.90 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $52,990,312,571.65 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $53,008,206,343.14 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $52,332,074,894.92 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $49,812,322,506.69 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $51,041,614,061.90 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $53,609,915,170.04 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $55,085,536,110.05 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $55,466,894,917.84 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $55,538,997,325.18 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $56,279,321,360.34 | 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 |