According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 325.66% higher in 2026 versus 1945 (a $534,080,106,354.69 difference in value).
Between 1945 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.80% per year. In other words, apparel costing $164,000,000,000 in the year 1945 would cost $698,080,106,354.69 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 $164,000,000,000 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 | $164,000,000,000.00 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $179,959,585,216.70 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $208,564,743,419.30 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $222,431,268,279.71 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $213,666,578,037.76 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $210,788,620,047.86 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $229,844,190,374.90 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $227,358,681,201.81 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $225,919,702,206.86 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $225,091,199,149.16 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $224,393,512,363.73 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $228,928,476,469.02 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $232,852,964,637.06 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $233,768,678,542.94 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $235,600,106,354.69 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $239,132,145,705.93 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $241,007,178,941.77 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $242,358,947,088.54 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $245,324,115,926.62 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $247,417,176,282.90 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $249,771,869,183.73 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $256,487,104,493.49 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $266,952,406,274.93 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $281,211,379,952.14 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $297,388,992,289.28 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $309,642,116,458.39 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $319,671,363,998.94 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $326,299,388,460.52 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $338,247,274,660.99 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $363,320,393,512.36 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $379,498,005,849.51 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $393,713,374,102.63 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $411,329,965,434.72 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $425,763,360,808.30 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $444,426,482,318.53 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $475,865,993,086.94 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $498,540,813,613.40 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $511,622,440,840.20 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $524,268,013,826.11 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $533,904,812,549.85 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $549,559,159,797.93 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $554,224,940,175.49 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $578,600,372,241.43 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $603,717,096,516.88 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $620,505,184,791.28 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $649,284,764,690.24 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $673,485,775,059.82 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $690,055,836,213.77 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $699,387,396,968.89 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $698,035,628,822.12 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $690,491,890,454.67 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $689,140,122,307.90 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $695,157,670,832.23 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $696,073,384,738.10 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $687,003,456,527.52 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $678,020,739,165.12 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $665,942,036,692.37 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $648,979,526,721.62 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $632,496,676,415.85 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $630,185,588,939.11 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $625,519,808,561.55 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $625,040,148,896.57 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $622,676,298,856.69 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $622,198,383,408.67 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $628,327,125,764.42 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $625,317,915,448.02 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $638,962,488,699.81 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $660,698,484,445.63 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $666,699,026,854.56 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $667,237,553,842.06 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $658,803,828,768.94 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $659,551,225,737.84 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $657,283,743,685.19 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $657,505,695,293.80 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $649,119,064,078.70 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $617,864,440,308.43 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $633,112,385,003.99 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $664,969,199,680.94 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $683,272,576,442.44 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $688,002,892,847.65 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $688,897,240,095.72 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $698,080,106,354.69 | 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 |