According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 224.41% higher in 2026 versus 1950 (a $56,103,640,877.12 difference in value).
Between 1950 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.56% per year. In other words, apparel costing $25,000,000,000 in the year 1950 would cost $81,103,640,877.12 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.49% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1950: Pricing changed by -1.35%, which is below the average yearly change for apparel during the 1950-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1950 (1.09%), inflation for apparel was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $25,000,000,000 beginning in 1950. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | $25,000,000,000.00 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $27,260,033,098.88 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $26,965,246,172.94 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $26,794,580,057.92 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $26,696,317,749.28 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $26,613,570,541.99 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $27,151,427,389.33 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $27,616,880,430.29 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $27,725,486,139.84 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $27,942,697,558.96 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $28,361,605,295.82 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $28,583,988,415.39 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $28,744,311,129.50 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $29,095,986,760.45 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $29,344,228,382.29 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $29,623,500,206.87 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $30,419,942,076.95 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $31,661,150,186.18 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $33,352,296,235.00 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $35,270,997,103.85 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $36,724,244,931.73 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $37,913,736,036.41 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $38,699,834,505.59 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $40,116,880,430.29 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $43,090,608,191.97 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $45,009,309,060.82 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $46,695,283,409.18 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $48,784,650,393.05 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $50,496,483,243.69 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $52,709,971,038.48 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $56,438,767,066.61 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $59,128,051,303.27 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $60,679,561,439.80 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $62,179,354,571.78 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $63,322,300,372.36 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $65,178,940,835.75 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $65,732,312,784.44 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $68,623,293,338.85 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $71,602,192,800.99 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $73,593,297,476.21 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $77,006,619,776.58 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $79,876,913,529.17 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $81,842,159,702.11 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $82,948,903,599.50 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $82,788,580,885.40 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $81,893,876,706.66 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $81,733,553,992.55 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $82,447,248,655.36 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $82,555,854,364.92 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $81,480,140,670.25 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $80,414,770,376.50 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $78,982,209,350.43 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $76,970,417,873.40 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $75,015,515,101.37 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $74,741,414,977.24 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $74,188,043,028.55 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $74,131,154,323.54 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $73,850,796,441.87 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $73,794,114,604.88 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $74,520,997,103.85 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $74,164,098,055.44 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $75,782,374,844.85 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $78,360,312,370.71 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $79,071,990,070.34 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $79,135,860,570.96 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $78,135,601,985.93 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $78,224,244,931.73 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $77,955,316,508.07 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $77,981,640,463.38 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $76,986,967,314.85 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $73,280,099,296.65 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $75,088,539,511.79 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $78,866,828,713.28 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $81,037,649,979.31 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $81,598,676,044.68 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $81,704,747,621.02 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $81,103,640,877.12 | -0.74%* |
* 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 | 130.685 |