According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 241.16% higher in 2026 versus 1947 (a $18,810.20 difference in value).
Between 1947 and 2026, Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.57% per year. In other words, apparel costing $7,800 in the year 1947 would cost $26,610.20 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.47% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1947: Pricing changed by 15.90%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for apparel during the 1947-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1947 (14.39%), inflation for apparel was higher.
Apparel prices are up 3.6% over the past year, but your own inflation rate depends on everything you buy. The personal inflation calculator works it out from your budget.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $7,800 beginning in 1947. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1947 | $7,800.00 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $8,318.59 | 6.65% |
| 1949 | $7,990.80 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $7,883.17 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $8,595.82 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $8,502.86 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $8,449.05 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $8,418.06 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $8,391.97 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $8,561.57 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $8,708.34 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $8,742.59 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $8,811.08 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $8,943.17 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $9,013.30 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $9,063.85 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $9,174.74 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $9,253.02 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $9,341.08 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $9,592.22 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $9,983.61 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $10,516.87 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $11,121.89 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $11,580.14 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $11,955.22 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $12,203.09 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $12,649.93 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $13,587.62 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $14,192.64 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $14,724.27 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $15,383.11 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $15,922.89 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $16,620.87 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $17,796.65 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $18,644.66 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $19,133.89 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $19,606.82 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $19,967.22 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $20,552.67 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $20,727.16 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $21,638.76 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $22,578.09 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $23,205.94 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $24,282.25 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $25,187.33 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $25,807.02 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $26,156.01 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $26,105.46 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $25,823.33 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $25,772.78 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $25,997.83 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $26,032.07 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $25,692.87 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $25,356.93 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $24,905.21 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $24,270.83 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $23,654.40 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $23,567.97 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $23,393.48 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $23,375.54 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $23,287.13 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $23,269.26 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $23,498.47 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $23,385.93 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $23,896.21 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $24,709.11 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $24,933.52 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $24,953.66 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $24,638.25 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $24,666.20 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $24,581.40 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $24,589.70 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $24,276.05 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $23,107.18 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $23,677.43 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $24,868.82 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $25,553.34 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $25,730.25 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $25,763.70 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $26,610.20 | 3.29%* |
* 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 | 135.979 |