According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 325.66% higher in 2026 versus 1945 (a $13,189,173,358.15 difference in value).
Between 1945 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.80% per year. In other words, apparel costing $4,050,000,000 in the year 1945 would cost $17,239,173,358.15 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 $4,050,000,000 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 | $4,050,000,000.00 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $4,444,123,903.22 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $5,150,531,773.46 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $5,492,967,295.93 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $5,276,522,201.54 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $5,205,450,678.01 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $5,676,030,311.09 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $5,614,650,358.95 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $5,579,114,597.18 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $5,558,654,613.13 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $5,541,425,152.88 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $5,653,416,644.51 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $5,750,332,358.42 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $5,772,946,024.99 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $5,818,173,358.15 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $5,905,397,500.66 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $5,951,701,675.09 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $5,985,083,754.32 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $6,058,308,960.38 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $6,109,997,341.13 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $6,168,146,769.48 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $6,333,980,324.38 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $6,592,422,228.13 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $6,944,549,321.99 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $7,344,057,431.53 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $7,646,649,827.17 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $7,894,323,318.27 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $8,058,003,190.64 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $8,353,057,697.42 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $8,972,241,425.15 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $9,371,749,534.70 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $9,722,799,787.29 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $10,157,843,658.60 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $10,514,278,117.52 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $10,975,166,179.21 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $11,751,568,731.72 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $12,311,526,189.84 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $12,634,578,569.53 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $12,946,862,536.56 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $13,184,844,456.26 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $13,571,430,470.62 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $13,686,652,486.04 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $14,288,606,753.52 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $14,908,867,322.52 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $15,323,451,209.78 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $16,034,166,445.09 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $16,631,813,347.51 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $17,041,013,028.45 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $17,271,457,059.29 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $17,238,074,980.06 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $17,051,781,441.11 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $17,018,399,361.87 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $17,167,003,456.53 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $17,189,617,123.11 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $16,965,634,139.86 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $16,743,804,839.14 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $16,445,519,808.56 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $16,026,628,556.24 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $15,619,582,557.83 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $15,562,509,970.75 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $15,447,287,955.33 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $15,435,442,701.41 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $15,377,067,136.40 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $15,365,264,956.13 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $15,516,614,996.01 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $15,442,302,180.27 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $15,779,256,580.70 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $16,316,029,646.37 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $16,464,213,772.93 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $16,477,512,762.56 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $16,269,240,893.38 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $16,287,697,952.67 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $16,231,702,206.86 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $16,237,183,328.90 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $16,030,074,448.29 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $15,258,237,702.74 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $15,634,787,556.50 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $16,421,495,479.93 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $16,873,499,601.17 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $16,990,315,341.66 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $17,012,401,356.02 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $17,239,173,358.15 | 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 |