According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 316.97% higher in 2026 versus 1945 (a $862,155,384.21 difference in value).
Between 1945 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.78% per year. In other words, apparel costing $272,000,000 in the year 1945 would cost $1,134,155,384.21 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 $272,000,000 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 | $272,000,000.00 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $298,469,555.97 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $345,912,257.38 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $368,910,396.17 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $354,373,836.75 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $349,600,638.13 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $381,204,998.67 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $377,082,690.77 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $374,696,091.47 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $373,321,988.83 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $372,164,849.77 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $379,686,253.66 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $386,195,160.86 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $387,713,905.88 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $390,751,395.91 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $396,609,412.39 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $399,719,223.61 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $401,961,180.54 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $406,879,021.54 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $410,350,438.71 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $414,255,783.04 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $425,393,246.48 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $442,750,332.36 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $466,399,361.87 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $493,230,523.80 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $513,552,778.52 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $530,186,652.49 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $541,179,473.54 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $560,995,479.93 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $602,580,164.85 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $629,411,326.77 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $652,988,035.10 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $682,205,796.33 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $706,144,110.61 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $737,097,580.43 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $789,241,159.27 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $826,848,178.68 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $848,544,536.03 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $869,517,681.47 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $885,500,664.72 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $911,463,972.35 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $919,202,339.80 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $959,629,885.67 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $1,001,286,891.78 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $1,029,130,550.39 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $1,076,862,536.56 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $1,117,000,797.66 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $1,144,482,850.31 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $1,159,959,585.22 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $1,157,717,628.29 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $1,145,206,062.22 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $1,142,964,105.29 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $1,152,944,429.67 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $1,154,463,174.69 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $1,139,420,366.92 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $1,124,522,201.54 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $1,104,489,231.59 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $1,076,356,288.22 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $1,049,018,877.96 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $1,045,185,854.83 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $1,037,447,487.37 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $1,036,651,954.27 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $1,032,731,422.49 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $1,031,938,782.24 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $1,042,103,525.66 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $1,037,112,640.26 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $1,059,742,664.19 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $1,095,792,608.35 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $1,105,744,727.47 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $1,106,637,894.18 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $1,092,650,252.59 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $1,093,889,837.81 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $1,090,129,135.87 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $1,090,497,250.73 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $1,076,587,716.03 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $1,024,750,779.05 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $1,050,040,053.18 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $1,102,875,745.81 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $1,133,232,565.81 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $1,141,077,968.63 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $1,142,561,276.26 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $1,134,155,384.21 | -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 |