According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 325.66% higher in 2026 versus 1945 (a $21,867,975,086.41 difference in value).
Between 1945 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.80% per year. In other words, apparel costing $6,715,000,000 in the year 1945 would cost $28,582,975,086.41 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 $6,715,000,000 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 | $6,715,000,000.00 | 5.14% |
| 1946 | $7,368,467,162.99 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $8,539,708,854.03 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $9,107,475,405.48 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $8,748,604,094.66 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $8,630,765,753.79 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $9,410,998,404.68 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $9,309,228,928.48 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $9,250,309,758.04 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $9,216,386,599.31 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $9,187,819,728.80 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $9,373,504,387.13 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $9,534,193,033.77 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $9,571,687,051.32 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $9,646,675,086.41 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $9,791,294,868.39 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $9,868,068,332.89 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $9,923,416,644.51 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $10,044,825,844.19 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $10,130,526,455.73 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $10,226,939,643.71 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $10,501,895,772.40 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $10,930,398,830.10 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $11,514,234,246.21 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $12,176,628,556.24 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $12,678,334,219.62 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $13,088,982,983.25 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $13,360,368,253.12 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $13,849,575,910.66 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $14,876,197,819.73 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $15,538,592,129.75 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $16,120,642,116.46 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $16,841,955,596.92 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $17,432,932,730.66 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $18,197,096,516.88 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $19,484,391,119.38 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $20,412,814,411.06 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $20,948,443,233.18 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $21,466,217,761.23 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $21,860,797,660.20 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $22,501,766,817.34 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $22,692,807,763.89 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $23,690,862,802.45 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $24,719,270,140.92 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $25,406,660,462.64 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $26,585,043,871.31 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $27,575,957,192.24 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $28,254,420,366.92 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $28,636,502,260.04 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $28,581,153,948.42 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $28,272,274,660.99 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $28,216,926,349.38 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $28,463,315,607.55 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $28,500,809,625.10 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $28,129,440,308.43 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $27,761,641,850.57 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $27,267,077,904.81 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $26,572,545,865.46 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $25,897,653,549.59 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $25,803,025,791.01 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $25,611,984,844.46 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $25,592,345,120.98 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $25,495,556,992.82 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $25,475,988,686.52 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $25,726,930,789.68 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $25,603,718,306.30 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $26,162,397,022.07 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $27,052,380,018.61 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $27,298,072,959.32 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $27,320,123,012.50 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $26,974,803,110.87 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $27,005,405,370.91 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $26,912,563,041.74 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $26,921,650,877.43 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $26,578,259,239.56 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $25,298,534,857.75 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $25,922,863,812.82 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $27,227,244,974.74 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $27,976,678,968.36 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $28,170,362,350.44 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $28,206,981,507.58 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $28,582,975,086.41 | 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 |