According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 231.18% higher in 2026 versus 1950 (a $22,192,840,711.63 difference in value).
Between 1950 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.59% per year. In other words, apparel costing $9,600,000,000 in the year 1950 would cost $31,792,840,711.63 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 $9,600,000,000 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 | $9,600,000,000.00 | -1.35% |
| 1951 | $10,467,852,709.97 | 9.04% |
| 1952 | $10,354,654,530.41 | -1.08% |
| 1953 | $10,289,118,742.24 | -0.63% |
| 1954 | $10,251,386,015.72 | -0.37% |
| 1955 | $10,219,611,088.13 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $10,426,148,117.50 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $10,604,882,085.23 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $10,646,586,677.70 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $10,729,995,862.64 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $10,890,856,433.60 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $10,976,251,551.51 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $11,037,815,473.73 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $11,172,858,916.01 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $11,268,183,698.80 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $11,375,424,079.44 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $11,681,257,757.55 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $12,157,881,671.49 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $12,807,281,754.24 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $13,544,062,887.88 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $14,102,110,053.79 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $14,558,874,637.98 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $14,860,736,450.14 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $15,404,882,085.23 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $16,546,793,545.72 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $17,283,574,679.35 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $17,930,988,829.13 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $18,733,305,750.93 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $19,390,649,565.58 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $20,240,628,878.78 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $21,672,486,553.58 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $22,705,171,700.46 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $23,300,951,592.88 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $23,876,872,155.56 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $24,315,763,342.99 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $25,028,713,280.93 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $25,241,208,109.23 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $26,351,344,642.12 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $27,495,242,035.58 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $28,259,826,230.86 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $29,570,541,994.21 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $30,672,734,795.20 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $31,427,389,325.61 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $31,852,378,982.21 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $31,790,815,059.99 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $31,447,248,655.36 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $31,385,684,733.14 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $31,659,743,483.66 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $31,701,448,076.13 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $31,288,374,017.38 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $30,879,271,824.58 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $30,329,168,390.57 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $29,556,640,463.38 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $28,805,957,798.92 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $28,700,703,351.26 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $28,488,208,522.96 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $28,466,363,260.24 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $28,358,705,833.68 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $28,336,940,008.27 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $28,616,062,887.88 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $28,479,013,653.29 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $29,100,431,940.42 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $30,090,359,950.35 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $30,363,644,187.01 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $30,388,170,459.25 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $30,004,071,162.60 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $30,038,110,053.79 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $29,934,841,539.10 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $29,944,949,937.94 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $29,562,995,448.90 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $28,139,558,129.91 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $28,833,999,172.53 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $30,284,862,225.90 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $31,118,457,592.06 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $31,333,891,601.16 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $31,374,623,086.47 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $31,792,840,711.63 | 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 |