According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 325.66% higher in 2026 versus 1945 (a $1,947,438,436.59 difference in value).
Between 1945 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.80% per year. In other words, apparel costing $598,000,000 in the year 1945 would cost $2,545,438,436.59 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 $598,000,000 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 | $598,000,000.00 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $656,194,097.31 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $760,498,271.74 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $811,060,356.29 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $779,101,302.84 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $768,607,285.30 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $838,090,401.49 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $829,027,386.33 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $823,780,377.56 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $820,759,372.51 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $818,215,368.25 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $834,751,395.91 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $849,061,419.84 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $852,400,425.42 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $859,078,436.59 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $871,957,458.12 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $878,794,469.56 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $883,723,477.80 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $894,535,495.88 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $902,167,508.64 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $910,753,523.00 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $935,239,563.95 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $973,399,627.76 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $1,025,392,714.70 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $1,084,381,813.35 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $1,129,060,888.06 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $1,165,630,949.22 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $1,189,798,989.63 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $1,233,365,062.48 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $1,324,790,215.37 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $1,383,779,314.01 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $1,435,613,400.69 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $1,499,849,508.11 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $1,552,478,596.12 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $1,620,530,709.92 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $1,735,169,901.62 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $1,817,850,039.88 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $1,865,550,119.65 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $1,911,660,196.76 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $1,946,799,255.52 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $2,003,880,350.97 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $2,020,893,379.42 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $2,109,774,528.05 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $2,201,358,681.20 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $2,262,573,783.57 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $2,367,513,959.05 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $2,455,759,106.62 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $2,516,179,207.66 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $2,550,205,264.56 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $2,545,276,256.31 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $2,517,769,210.32 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $2,512,840,202.07 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $2,534,782,238.77 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $2,538,121,244.35 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $2,505,049,189.05 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $2,472,295,134.27 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $2,428,252,060.62 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $2,366,400,957.19 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $2,306,298,856.69 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $2,297,871,842.60 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $2,280,858,814.15 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $2,279,109,811.22 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $2,270,490,406.81 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $2,268,747,763.89 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $2,291,095,251.26 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $2,280,122,642.91 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $2,329,875,416.11 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $2,409,132,278.65 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $2,431,012,305.24 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $2,432,975,958.52 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $2,402,223,717.10 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $2,404,948,981.65 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $2,396,680,967.83 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $2,397,490,279.18 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $2,366,909,758.04 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $2,252,944,727.47 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $2,308,543,940.44 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $2,424,704,764.69 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $2,491,445,126.30 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $2,508,693,475.14 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $2,511,954,570.59 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $2,545,438,436.59 | 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 |