According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 325.66% higher in 2026 versus 1945 (a $4,754,615,580.96 difference in value).
Between 1945 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.80% per year. In other words, apparel costing $1,460,000,000 in the year 1945 would cost $6,214,615,580.96 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 $1,460,000,000 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 | $1,460,000,000.00 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $1,602,079,234.25 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $1,856,734,910.93 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $1,980,180,802.98 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $1,902,153,682.53 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $1,876,532,837.01 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $2,046,173,889.92 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $2,024,046,796.06 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $2,011,236,373.30 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $2,003,860,675.35 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $1,997,649,561.29 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $2,038,021,802.71 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $2,072,959,319.33 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $2,081,111,406.54 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $2,097,415,580.96 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $2,128,859,345.92 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $2,145,551,714.97 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $2,157,585,748.47 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $2,183,982,983.25 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $2,202,616,325.45 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $2,223,578,835.42 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $2,283,360,808.30 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $2,376,527,519.28 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $2,503,467,162.99 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $2,647,487,370.38 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $2,756,570,061.15 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $2,845,854,825.84 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $2,904,860,409.47 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $3,011,225,737.84 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $3,234,437,649.56 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $3,378,457,856.95 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $3,505,009,306.04 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $3,661,839,936.19 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $3,790,332,358.42 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $3,956,479,659.66 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $4,236,367,987.24 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $4,438,229,194.36 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $4,554,687,583.09 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $4,667,264,025.53 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $4,753,055,038.55 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $4,892,416,910.40 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $4,933,953,735.71 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $5,150,954,533.37 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $5,374,554,639.72 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $5,524,009,571.92 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $5,780,218,027.12 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $5,995,666,046.26 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $6,143,180,005.32 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $6,226,253,655.94 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $6,214,219,622.44 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $6,147,061,951.61 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $6,135,027,918.11 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $6,188,598,776.92 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $6,196,750,864.13 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $6,116,006,381.28 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $6,036,038,287.69 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $5,928,508,375.43 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $5,777,500,664.72 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $5,630,763,094.92 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $5,610,188,779.58 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $5,568,651,954.27 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $5,564,381,813.35 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $5,543,337,782.50 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $5,539,083,169.37 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $5,593,643,924.49 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $5,566,854,613.13 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $5,688,324,594.52 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $5,881,827,971.28 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $5,935,247,434.19 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $5,940,041,637.86 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $5,864,960,914.65 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $5,871,614,570.59 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $5,851,428,449.88 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $5,853,404,360.54 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $5,778,742,887.53 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $5,500,500,505.18 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $5,636,244,403.08 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $5,919,847,753.26 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $6,082,792,448.82 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $6,124,903,802.18 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $6,132,865,674.02 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $6,214,615,580.96 | 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 |