According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 206.38% higher in 2025 versus 1955 (a $22,288,754,260.09 difference in value).
Between 1955 and 2025: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.61% per year. In other words, apparel costing $10,800,000,000 in the year 1955 would cost $33,088,754,260.09 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.61% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1955: Pricing changed by -0.32%, which is below the average yearly change for apparel during the 1955-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1955 (-0.29%), inflation for apparel was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $10,800,000,000 beginning in 1955. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1955 | $10,800,000,000.00 | -0.32% |
| 1956 | $11,016,968,609.87 | 2.01% |
| 1957 | $11,206,816,143.50 | 1.72% |
| 1958 | $11,249,434,977.58 | 0.38% |
| 1959 | $11,338,547,085.20 | 0.79% |
| 1960 | $11,509,022,421.52 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $11,600,071,748.88 | 0.79% |
| 1962 | $11,664,000,000.00 | 0.55% |
| 1963 | $11,807,354,260.09 | 1.23% |
| 1964 | $11,908,089,686.10 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $12,022,385,650.22 | 0.96% |
| 1966 | $12,343,964,125.56 | 2.67% |
| 1967 | $12,847,641,255.61 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $13,533,417,040.36 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $14,312,179,372.20 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $14,903,031,390.13 | 4.13% |
| 1971 | $15,385,399,103.14 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $15,703,103,139.01 | 2.06% |
| 1973 | $16,278,457,399.10 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $17,485,345,291.48 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $18,264,107,623.32 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $18,947,946,188.34 | 3.74% |
| 1977 | $19,796,448,430.49 | 4.48% |
| 1978 | $20,491,910,313.90 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $21,388,843,049.33 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $22,901,811,659.19 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $23,994,403,587.44 | 4.77% |
| 1982 | $24,624,000,000.00 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $25,232,286,995.52 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $25,697,219,730.94 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $26,448,860,986.55 | 2.92% |
| 1986 | $26,673,578,475.34 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $27,847,533,632.29 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $29,056,358,744.39 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $29,864,179,372.20 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $31,249,291,479.82 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $32,413,560,538.12 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $33,211,695,067.26 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $33,661,130,044.84 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $33,595,264,573.99 | -0.20% |
| 1995 | $33,233,004,484.30 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $33,167,139,013.45 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $33,457,721,973.09 | 0.88% |
| 1998 | $33,500,340,807.17 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $33,064,466,367.71 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $32,632,466,367.71 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $32,051,300,448.43 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $31,233,793,721.97 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $30,441,470,852.02 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $30,329,112,107.62 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $30,104,394,618.83 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $30,083,085,201.79 | -0.07% |
| 2007 | $29,968,343,677.13 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $29,945,348,878.92 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $30,240,309,955.16 | 0.98% |
| 2010 | $30,095,483,408.07 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $30,752,181,524.66 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $31,798,299,551.57 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $32,087,080,896.86 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $32,113,000,896.86 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $31,707,114,618.83 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $31,743,069,417.04 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $31,633,945,829.60 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $31,644,619,910.31 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $31,241,000,179.37 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $29,736,768,430.49 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $30,470,626,008.97 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $32,003,838,565.02 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $32,884,750,493.27 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $33,112,412,556.05 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $33,088,754,260.09 | -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 |