According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 316.97% higher in 2026 versus 1945 (a $63,393,778,244.13 difference in value).
Between 1945 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.78% per year. In other words, apparel costing $19,999,999,998 in the year 1945 would cost $83,393,778,242.13 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 $19,999,999,998 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 | $19,999,999,998.00 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $21,946,290,877.89 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $25,434,724,804.69 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $27,125,764,421.64 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $26,056,899,758.10 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $25,705,929,271.56 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $28,029,779,311.21 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $27,726,668,436.47 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $27,551,183,193.20 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $27,450,146,234.96 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $27,365,062,480.65 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $27,918,106,883.67 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $28,396,703,001.68 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $28,508,375,429.22 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $28,731,720,284.28 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $29,162,456,790.49 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $29,391,119,380.20 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $29,555,969,154.18 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $29,917,575,110.01 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $30,172,826,372.95 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $30,459,984,043.75 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $31,278,915,179.00 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $32,555,171,493.69 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $34,294,070,722.44 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $36,266,950,275.55 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $37,761,233,710.66 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $38,984,312,678.90 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $39,792,608,344.86 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $41,249,667,637.46 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $44,307,365,058.05 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $46,280,244,611.17 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $48,013,826,105.28 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $50,162,190,901.66 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $51,922,361,068.99 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $54,198,351,496.84 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $58,032,438,175.53 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $60,797,660,190.68 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $62,392,980,584.03 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $63,935,123,630.94 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $65,110,342,987.37 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $67,019,409,724.75 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $67,588,407,331.71 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $70,561,020,998.00 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $73,624,036,153.23 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $75,671,363,991.37 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $79,181,068,856.75 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $82,132,411,584.45 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $84,153,150,749.36 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $85,291,145,963.29 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $85,126,296,189.31 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $84,206,328,095.81 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $84,041,478,321.83 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $84,775,325,702.77 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $84,886,998,130.30 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $83,780,909,324.25 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $82,685,455,987.48 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $81,212,443,490.95 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $79,143,844,714.23 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $77,133,741,018.61 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $76,851,901,082.45 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $76,282,903,475.49 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $76,224,408,394.40 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $75,936,133,999.32 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $75,877,851,627.62 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $76,625,259,231.90 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $76,258,282,364.08 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $77,922,254,711.70 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $80,572,985,899.95 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $81,304,759,364.38 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $81,370,433,387.24 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $80,341,930,329.64 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $80,433,076,301.45 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $80,156,554,099.93 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $80,183,621,369.27 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $79,160,861,465.10 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $75,349,321,981.30 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $77,208,827,431.79 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $81,093,804,831.03 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $83,325,923,948.06 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $83,902,791,802.30 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $84,011,858,539.86 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $83,393,778,242.13 | -0.74%* |
* 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 | 130.685 |