According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 325.66% higher in 2026 versus 1945 (a $602,468,412,656.21 difference in value).
Between 1945 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.80% per year. In other words, apparel costing $185,000,000,000 in the year 1945 would cost $787,468,412,656.21 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 $185,000,000,000 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 | $185,000,000,000.00 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $203,003,190,640.79 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $235,271,204,466.90 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $250,913,320,925.29 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $241,026,322,786.49 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $237,779,845,785.70 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $259,275,458,654.61 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $256,471,683,063.02 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $254,848,444,562.62 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $253,913,852,698.75 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $253,126,827,971.28 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $258,242,488,699.81 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $262,669,502,791.81 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $263,702,472,746.61 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $265,768,412,656.21 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $269,752,725,339.01 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $271,867,854,294.07 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $273,392,714,703.54 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $276,737,569,795.27 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $279,098,643,977.67 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $281,754,852,432.86 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $289,329,965,434.72 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $301,135,336,346.72 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $317,220,154,214.30 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $335,469,290,082.42 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $349,291,411,858.55 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $360,604,892,315.87 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $368,081,627,226.80 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $381,559,425,684.66 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $409,843,126,827.97 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $428,092,262,696.09 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $444,127,891,518.21 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $464,000,265,886.73 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $480,281,839,936.19 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $501,334,751,395.91 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $536,800,053,177.35 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $562,378,356,819.99 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $577,135,070,459.98 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $591,399,893,645.31 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $602,270,672,693.43 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $619,929,540,015.95 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $625,192,767,880.88 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $652,689,444,296.73 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $681,022,334,485.51 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $699,960,116,990.16 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $732,424,886,998.14 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $759,724,807,232.12 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $778,416,644,509.44 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $788,943,100,239.30 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $787,418,239,829.83 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $778,908,534,964.11 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $777,383,674,554.64 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $784,171,762,829.03 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $785,204,732,783.83 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $774,973,411,326.77 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $764,840,467,960.65 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $751,215,102,366.39 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $732,080,563,679.87 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $713,487,104,493.49 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $710,880,085,083.75 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $705,616,857,218.82 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $705,075,777,718.69 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $702,409,239,563.95 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $701,870,127,625.63 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $708,783,647,965.97 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $705,389,111,938.31 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $720,780,856,155.28 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $745,300,119,649.03 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $752,069,024,195.69 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $752,676,508,907.21 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $743,162,855,623.50 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $744,005,955,862.80 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $741,448,125,498.54 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $741,698,497,739.96 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $732,237,968,625.37 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $696,981,228,396.70 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $714,181,653,815.47 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $750,117,694,762.03 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $770,764,796,596.65 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $776,100,824,248.87 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $777,109,691,571.39 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $787,468,412,656.21 | 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 |