According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 325.66% higher in 2026 versus 1945 (a $723,685,773.73 difference in value).
Between 1945 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.80% per year. In other words, apparel costing $222,222,220 in the year 1945 would cost $945,907,993.73 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 $222,222,220 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 | $222,222,220.00 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $243,847,674.01 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $282,608,050.59 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $301,397,379.48 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $289,521,105.56 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $285,621,433.52 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $311,441,989.26 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $308,074,090.69 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $306,124,254.67 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $305,001,621.81 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $304,056,246.77 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $310,201,184.53 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $315,518,919.12 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $316,759,723.86 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $319,241,333.33 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $324,027,294.46 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $326,567,989.88 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $328,399,654.02 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $332,417,497.93 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $335,253,623.05 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $338,444,263.80 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $347,543,498.55 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $361,724,124.13 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $381,045,226.48 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $402,966,110.18 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $419,569,259.30 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $433,159,025.48 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $442,140,088.34 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $458,329,635.88 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $492,304,051.33 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $514,224,935.03 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $533,486,951.44 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $557,357,671.17 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $576,915,117.28 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $602,203,899.56 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $644,804,862.23 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $675,529,550.99 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $693,255,332.96 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $710,390,255.53 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $723,448,248.25 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $744,660,100.68 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $750,982,296.25 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $784,011,336.66 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $818,044,838.05 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $840,792,924.91 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $879,789,645.25 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $912,582,341.90 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $935,034,999.07 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $947,679,390.21 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $945,847,726.07 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $935,625,858.47 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $933,794,194.33 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $941,948,054.04 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $943,188,858.78 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $930,898,983.28 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $918,727,279.65 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $902,360,474.30 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $879,376,043.67 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $857,041,558.39 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $853,910,003.57 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $847,587,808.00 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $846,937,862.66 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $843,734,813.86 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $843,087,231.96 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $851,391,760.81 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $847,314,240.10 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $865,802,821.56 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $895,255,390.03 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $903,386,206.22 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $904,115,917.57 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $892,688,105.94 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $893,700,838.95 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $890,628,370.07 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $890,929,117.51 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $879,565,118.68 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $837,214,680.39 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $857,875,851.86 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $901,042,266.98 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $925,843,590.26 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $932,253,233.02 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $933,465,085.65 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $945,907,993.73 | 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 |