According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 277.31% higher in 2026 versus 1946 (a $277,309,425.73 difference in value).
Between 1946 and 2026: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.67% per year. In other words, apparel costing $100,000,000 in the year 1946 would cost $377,309,425.73 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.57% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1946: Pricing changed by 9.73%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for apparel during the 1946-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1946 (8.48%), inflation for apparel was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $100,000,000 beginning in 1946. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1946 | $100,000,000.00 | 9.73% |
| 1947 | $115,895,323.48 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $123,600,678.46 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $118,730,312.58 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $117,131,087.96 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $127,719,893.39 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $126,338,744.85 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $125,539,132.54 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $125,078,749.70 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $124,691,058.88 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $127,211,049.19 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $129,391,810.03 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $129,900,654.23 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $130,918,342.62 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $132,881,027.38 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $133,922,946.45 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $134,674,097.41 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $136,321,783.38 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $137,484,855.83 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $138,793,312.33 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $142,524,836.44 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $148,340,198.69 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $156,263,629.76 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $165,253,210.56 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $172,062,030.53 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $177,635,086.02 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $181,318,148.78 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $187,957,354.01 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $201,889,992.73 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $210,879,573.54 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $218,778,773.93 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $228,567,967.05 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $236,588,320.81 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $246,959,050.16 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $264,429,367.58 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $277,029,319.12 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $284,298,521.93 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $291,325,417.98 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $296,680,397.38 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $305,379,210.08 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $307,971,892.42 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $321,516,840.32 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $335,473,709.72 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $344,802,519.99 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $360,794,766.17 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $374,242,791.37 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $383,450,448.27 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $388,635,812.94 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $387,884,661.98 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $383,692,755.03 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $382,941,604.07 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $386,285,437.36 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $386,794,281.56 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $381,754,300.94 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $376,762,781.68 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $370,050,884.42 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $360,625,151.44 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $351,465,955.90 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $350,181,730.07 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $347,589,047.73 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $347,322,510.30 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $346,008,965.35 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $345,743,397.14 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $349,149,018.66 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $347,476,859.70 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $355,058,880.54 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $367,137,145.63 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $370,471,528.96 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $370,770,777.80 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $366,084,322.75 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $366,499,636.54 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $365,239,641.39 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $365,362,975.53 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $360,702,689.61 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $343,335,110.25 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $351,808,093.05 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $369,510,298.04 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $379,681,124.30 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $382,309,668.04 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $383,740,159.04 | 0.37% |
| 2026 | $377,309,425.73 | -1.68%* |
* 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 | 131.975 | 129.763 |