According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 325.66% higher in 2026 versus 1945 (a $159,572,714.70 difference in value).
Between 1945 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.80% per year. In other words, apparel costing $49,000,000 in the year 1945 would cost $208,572,714.70 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 $49,000,000 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 | $49,000,000.00 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $53,768,412.66 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $62,315,075.78 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $66,458,122.84 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $63,839,404.41 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $62,979,526.72 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $68,672,959.32 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $67,930,337.68 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $67,500,398.83 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $67,252,858.28 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $67,044,403.08 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $68,399,361.87 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $69,571,922.36 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $69,845,519.81 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $70,392,714.70 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $71,448,019.14 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $72,008,242.49 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $72,412,124.43 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $73,298,059.03 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $73,923,424.62 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $74,626,960.91 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $76,633,342.20 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $79,760,170.17 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $84,020,473.28 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $88,854,028.18 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $92,515,022.60 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $95,511,566.07 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $97,491,890.45 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $101,061,685.72 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $108,553,044.40 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $113,386,599.31 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $117,633,873.97 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $122,897,367.72 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $127,209,784.63 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $132,785,961.18 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $142,179,473.54 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $148,954,267.48 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $152,862,802.45 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $156,641,052.91 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $159,520,340.34 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $164,197,553.84 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $165,591,597.98 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $172,874,501.46 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $180,378,888.59 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $185,394,841.80 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $193,993,618.72 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $201,224,408.40 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $206,175,219.36 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $208,963,307.63 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $208,559,425.68 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $206,305,503.86 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $205,901,621.91 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $207,699,547.99 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $207,973,145.44 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $205,263,227.86 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $202,579,367.19 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $198,970,486.57 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $193,902,419.57 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $188,977,665.51 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $188,287,157.67 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $186,893,113.53 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $186,749,800.58 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $186,043,528.32 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $185,900,736.51 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $187,731,885.14 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $186,832,791.81 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $190,909,524.06 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $197,403,815.47 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $199,196,660.46 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $199,357,561.82 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $196,837,729.33 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $197,061,036.96 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $196,383,557.56 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $196,449,872.37 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $193,944,110.61 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $184,605,838.87 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $189,161,627.23 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $198,679,821.86 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $204,148,513.69 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $205,561,839.94 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $205,829,053.44 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $208,572,714.70 | 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 |