According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 325.66% higher in 2026 versus 1945 (a $3,321,717,734.65 difference in value).
Between 1945 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.80% per year. In other words, apparel costing $1,020,000,000 in the year 1945 would cost $4,341,717,734.65 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.64% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1945: Pricing changed by 5.14%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for apparel during the 1945-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1945 (2.27%), inflation for apparel was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $1,020,000,000 beginning in 1945. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1945 | $1,020,000,000.00 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $1,119,260,834.88 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $1,297,170,965.17 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $1,383,413,985.64 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $1,328,901,887.80 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $1,311,002,392.98 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $1,429,518,745.01 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $1,414,060,090.40 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $1,405,110,342.99 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $1,399,957,458.12 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $1,395,618,186.65 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $1,423,823,451.21 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $1,448,231,853.23 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $1,453,927,147.04 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $1,465,317,734.65 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $1,487,285,296.46 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $1,498,947,088.54 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $1,507,354,427.01 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $1,525,796,330.76 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $1,538,814,145.17 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $1,553,459,186.39 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $1,595,224,674.29 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $1,660,313,746.34 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $1,748,997,607.02 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $1,849,614,464.24 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $1,925,822,919.44 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $1,988,199,946.82 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $2,029,423,025.79 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $2,103,733,049.72 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $2,259,675,618.19 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $2,360,292,475.41 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $2,448,705,131.61 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $2,558,271,736.24 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $2,648,040,414.78 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $2,764,115,926.62 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $2,959,654,347.25 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $3,100,680,670.03 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $3,182,042,010.10 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $3,260,691,305.50 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $3,320,627,492.69 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $3,417,989,896.30 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $3,447,008,774.26 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $3,598,612,071.26 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $3,754,825,844.19 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $3,859,239,563.95 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $4,038,234,512.10 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $4,188,752,991.23 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $4,291,810,688.65 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $4,349,848,444.56 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $4,341,441,106.09 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $4,294,522,733.32 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $4,286,115,394.84 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $4,323,541,611.27 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $4,329,236,905.08 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $4,272,826,375.96 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $4,216,958,255.78 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $4,141,834,618.45 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $4,036,336,080.83 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $3,933,820,792.34 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $3,919,446,955.60 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $3,890,428,077.64 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $3,887,444,828.50 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $3,872,742,834.35 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $3,869,770,433.40 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $3,907,888,221.22 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $3,889,172,400.96 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $3,974,034,990.69 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $4,109,222,281.31 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $4,146,542,728.00 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $4,149,892,103.16 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $4,097,438,447.22 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $4,102,086,891.78 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $4,087,984,259.51 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $4,089,364,690.24 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $4,037,203,935.12 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $3,842,815,421.43 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $3,937,650,199.42 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $4,135,784,046.80 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $4,249,622,121.78 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $4,279,042,382.35 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $4,284,604,785.96 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $4,341,717,734.65 | 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 |