According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 333.86% higher in 2026 versus 1945 (a $58,759.53 difference in value).
Between 1945 and 2026, Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.83% per year. In other words, apparel costing $17,600 in the year 1945 would cost $76,359.53 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.66% 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.
Apparel prices are up 3.6% over the past year, but your own inflation rate depends on everything you buy. The personal inflation calculator works it out from your budget.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $17,600 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 | $17,600.00 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $19,312.74 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $22,382.56 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $23,870.67 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $22,930.07 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $22,621.22 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $24,666.21 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $24,399.47 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $24,245.04 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $24,156.13 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $24,081.25 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $24,567.93 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $24,989.10 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $25,087.37 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $25,283.91 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $25,662.96 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $25,864.19 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $26,009.25 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $26,327.47 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $26,552.09 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $26,804.79 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $27,525.45 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $28,648.55 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $30,178.78 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $31,914.92 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $33,229.89 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $34,306.20 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $35,017.50 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $36,299.71 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $38,990.48 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $40,726.62 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $42,252.17 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $44,142.73 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $45,691.68 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $47,694.55 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $51,068.55 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $53,501.94 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $54,905.82 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $56,262.91 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $57,297.10 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $58,977.08 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $59,477.80 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $62,093.70 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $64,789.15 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $66,590.80 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $69,679.34 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $72,276.52 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $74,054.77 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $75,056.21 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $74,911.14 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $74,101.57 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $73,956.50 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $74,602.29 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $74,700.56 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $73,727.20 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $72,763.20 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $71,466.95 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $69,646.58 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $67,877.69 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $67,629.67 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $67,128.96 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $67,077.48 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $66,823.80 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $66,772.51 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $67,430.23 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $67,107.29 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $68,571.58 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $70,904.23 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $71,548.19 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $71,605.98 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $70,700.90 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $70,781.11 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $70,537.77 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $70,561.59 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $69,661.56 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $66,307.40 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $67,943.77 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $71,362.55 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $73,326.81 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $73,834.46 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $73,930.44 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $76,359.53 | 3.29%* |
* 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 | 135.979 |