According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 316.97% higher in 2026 versus 1945 (a $168,944,419.04 difference in value).
Between 1945 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.78% per year. In other words, apparel costing $53,300,000 in the year 1945 would cost $222,244,419.04 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 $53,300,000 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 | $53,300,000.00 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $58,486,865.20 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $67,783,541.61 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $72,290,162.19 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $69,441,637.86 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $68,506,301.52 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $74,699,361.87 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $73,891,571.39 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $73,423,903.22 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $73,154,639.72 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $72,927,891.52 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $74,401,754.85 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $75,677,213.51 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $75,974,820.53 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $76,570,034.57 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $77,717,947.35 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $78,327,333.16 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $78,766,657.80 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $79,730,337.68 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $80,410,582.29 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $81,175,857.48 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $83,358,308.96 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $86,759,532.04 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $91,393,698.48 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $96,651,422.49 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $100,633,687.85 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $103,893,193.30 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $106,047,301.25 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $109,930,364.26 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $118,079,127.89 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $123,336,851.90 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $127,956,846.58 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $133,682,238.77 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $138,373,092.26 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $144,438,606.75 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $154,656,447.75 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $162,025,764.42 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $166,277,293.27 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $170,387,104.49 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $173,519,064.08 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $178,606,726.93 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $180,123,105.56 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $188,045,120.98 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $196,208,056.37 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $201,664,185.06 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $211,017,548.52 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $218,882,876.89 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $224,268,146.77 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $227,300,904.01 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $226,861,579.37 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $224,409,864.40 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $223,970,539.75 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $225,926,243.02 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $226,223,850.04 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $223,276,123.37 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $220,356,740.23 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $216,431,161.93 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $210,918,346.18 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $205,561,419.84 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $204,810,316.41 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $203,293,937.78 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $203,138,048.39 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $202,369,797.13 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $202,214,474.61 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $204,206,315.87 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $203,228,322.52 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $207,662,808.83 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $214,727,007.44 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $216,677,183.73 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $216,852,205.00 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $214,111,244.35 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $214,354,148.36 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $213,617,216.70 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $213,689,350.97 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $210,963,695.83 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $200,805,943.10 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $205,761,525.13 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $216,114,989.90 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $222,063,587.34 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $223,600,940.18 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $223,891,603.03 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $222,244,419.04 | -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 |