According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 338.42% higher in 2026 versus 1944 (a $23,350,819.12 difference in value).
Between 1944 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.82% per year. In other words, apparel costing $6,900,000 in the year 1944 would cost $30,250,819.12 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.62% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1944: Pricing changed by 7%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for apparel during the 1944-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1944 (1.64%), inflation for apparel was much higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $6,900,000 beginning in 1944. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1944 | $6,900,000.00 | 7.00% |
| 1945 | $7,254,934.30 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $7,960,944.93 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $9,226,362.87 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $9,839,781.94 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $9,452,054.79 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $9,324,741.40 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $10,167,710.37 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $10,057,757.90 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $9,994,101.20 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $9,957,450.38 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $9,926,586.53 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $10,127,201.57 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $10,300,810.74 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $10,341,319.54 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $10,422,337.15 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $10,578,585.41 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $10,661,532.01 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $10,721,330.72 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $10,852,502.10 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $10,945,093.65 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $11,049,259.16 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $11,346,323.73 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $11,809,281.52 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $12,440,061.50 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $13,155,717.08 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $13,697,763.49 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $14,141,431.37 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $14,434,637.96 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $14,963,181.44 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $16,072,351.13 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $16,788,006.71 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $17,416,857.70 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $18,196,169.97 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $18,834,665.92 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $19,660,273.97 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $21,051,076.32 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $22,054,151.52 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $22,632,848.76 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $23,192,256.08 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $23,618,563.04 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $24,311,070.73 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $24,517,472.74 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $25,595,778.59 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $26,706,877.27 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $27,449,538.72 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $28,722,672.63 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $29,793,262.51 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $30,526,279.00 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $30,939,083.03 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $30,879,284.32 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $30,545,568.91 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $30,485,770.20 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $30,751,970.93 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $30,792,479.73 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $30,391,249.65 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $29,993,877.55 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $29,459,547.11 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $28,709,169.70 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $27,980,011.18 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $27,877,774.67 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $27,671,372.66 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $27,650,153.76 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $27,545,583.17 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $27,524,441.43 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $27,795,561.08 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $27,662,441.43 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $28,266,041.93 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $29,227,585.97 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $29,493,034.39 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $29,516,857.42 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $29,143,771.32 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $29,176,834.22 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $29,076,526.70 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $29,086,345.26 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $28,715,342.47 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $27,332,719.04 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $28,007,248.53 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $29,416,511.32 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $30,226,205.20 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $30,435,462.12 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $30,475,025.72 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $30,250,819.12 | -0.74%* |
* 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 | 130.685 |