According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 319.15% higher in 2025 versus 1945 (a $2,499,338,703.10 difference in value).
Between 1945 and 2025: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.81% per year. In other words, apparel costing $783,112,979 in the year 1945 would cost $3,282,451,682.10 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.67% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1945: Pricing changed by 5.16%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for apparel during the 1945-2025 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 $783,112,979 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 | $783,112,979.00 | 5.16% |
| 1946 | $859,214,264.81 | 9.72% |
| 1947 | $995,850,664.34 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $1,061,958,852.01 | 6.64% |
| 1949 | $1,020,064,709.82 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $1,006,420,287.37 | -1.34% |
| 1951 | $1,097,319,045.42 | 9.03% |
| 1952 | $1,085,596,372.61 | -1.07% |
| 1953 | $1,078,485,898.93 | -0.65% |
| 1954 | $1,074,834,574.61 | -0.34% |
| 1955 | $1,071,375,425.26 | -0.32% |
| 1956 | $1,092,899,021.24 | 2.01% |
| 1957 | $1,111,732,167.73 | 1.72% |
| 1958 | $1,115,960,016.95 | 0.38% |
| 1959 | $1,124,800,065.30 | 0.79% |
| 1960 | $1,141,711,462.14 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $1,150,743,685.46 | 0.79% |
| 1962 | $1,157,085,459.28 | 0.55% |
| 1963 | $1,171,306,406.63 | 1.23% |
| 1964 | $1,181,299,504.76 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $1,192,637,827.65 | 0.96% |
| 1966 | $1,224,538,871.70 | 2.67% |
| 1967 | $1,274,504,362.39 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $1,342,534,299.70 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $1,419,788,635.30 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $1,478,401,999.37 | 4.13% |
| 1971 | $1,526,253,565.45 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $1,557,770,259.58 | 2.06% |
| 1973 | $1,614,846,223.94 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $1,734,571,226.61 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $1,811,825,562.21 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $1,879,663,324.56 | 3.74% |
| 1977 | $1,963,835,958.87 | 4.48% |
| 1978 | $2,032,826,771.01 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $2,121,803,779.42 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $2,271,892,426.44 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $2,380,279,106.23 | 4.77% |
| 1982 | $2,442,735,969.59 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $2,503,078,908.34 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $2,549,200,899.74 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $2,623,764,785.84 | 2.92% |
| 1986 | $2,646,057,081.68 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $2,762,515,109.97 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $2,882,432,287.61 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $2,962,569,247.67 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $3,099,974,347.05 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $3,215,471,500.52 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $3,294,647,585.76 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $3,339,232,177.45 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $3,332,698,228.67 | -0.20% |
| 1995 | $3,296,761,510.37 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $3,290,227,561.59 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $3,319,053,806.21 | 0.88% |
| 1998 | $3,323,281,655.42 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $3,280,042,288.48 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $3,237,187,271.47 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $3,179,534,782.22 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $3,098,436,947.34 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $3,019,837,387.00 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $3,008,691,239.07 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $2,986,398,943.23 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $2,984,285,018.62 | -0.07% |
| 2007 | $2,972,902,495.50 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $2,970,621,378.67 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $2,999,881,938.72 | 0.98% |
| 2010 | $2,985,514,938.39 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $3,050,660,329.50 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $3,154,436,731.90 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $3,183,084,253.81 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $3,185,655,554.83 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $3,145,391,056.34 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $3,148,957,823.67 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $3,138,132,607.94 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $3,139,191,491.99 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $3,099,151,838.21 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $2,949,929,900.28 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $3,022,729,620.21 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $3,174,826,495.60 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $3,262,214,217.06 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $3,284,798,618.85 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $3,282,451,682.10 | -0.07%* |
* 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 | 1913 | 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 |
| CPI | 14.900 | 15.000 | 15.450 | 17.350 | 21.200 | 29.550 | 37.733 | 42.800 | 31.625 | 26.860 | 27.100 | 26.760 | 26.300 | 25.833 | 25.267 | 24.967 | 24.667 | 24.067 | 21.600 | 19.200 | 19.067 | 20.667 | 20.800 | 21.033 | 22.140 | 21.860 | 21.620 | 21.814 | 22.815 | 26.700 | 27.854 | 29.808 | 31.346 | 34.392 | 39.862 | 42.508 | 40.831 | 40.285 | 43.923 | 43.454 | 43.169 | 43.023 | 42.885 | 43.746 | 44.500 | 44.669 | 45.023 | 45.700 | 46.062 | 46.315 | 46.885 | 47.285 | 47.738 | 49.015 | 51.015 | 53.738 | 56.831 | 59.177 | 61.092 | 62.354 | 64.638 | 69.431 | 72.523 | 75.238 | 78.608 | 81.369 | 84.931 | 90.938 | 95.277 | 97.777 | 100.192 | 102.038 | 105.023 | 105.915 | 110.577 | 115.377 | 118.585 | 124.085 | 128.708 | 131.877 | 133.662 | 133.400 | 131.962 | 131.700 | 132.854 | 133.023 | 131.292 | 129.577 | 127.269 | 124.023 | 120.877 | 120.431 | 119.538 | 119.454 | 118.998 | 118.907 | 120.078 | 119.503 | 122.111 | 126.265 | 127.411 | 127.514 | 125.903 | 126.045 | 125.612 | 125.654 | 124.052 | 118.079 | 120.993 | 127.081 | 130.579 | 131.483 | 131.389 |