According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 204.75% higher in 2026 versus 1955 (a $337,829,965,021.38 difference in value).
Between 1955 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.58% per year. In other words, apparel costing $165,000,000,000 in the year 1955 would cost $502,829,965,021.38 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.58% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1955: Pricing changed by -0.31%, which is below the average yearly change for apparel during the 1955-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1955 (-0.28%), inflation for apparel was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $165,000,000,000 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 | $165,000,000,000.00 | -0.31% |
| 1956 | $168,334,628,837.93 | 2.02% |
| 1957 | $171,220,365,332.30 | 1.71% |
| 1958 | $171,893,703,847.65 | 0.39% |
| 1959 | $173,240,380,878.35 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $175,837,543,723.28 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $177,216,284,492.81 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $178,210,260,396.42 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $180,390,594,636.61 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $181,929,654,100.27 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $183,661,095,996.89 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $188,598,911,776.14 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $196,294,209,094.44 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $206,779,051,690.63 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $218,674,698,795.18 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $227,684,609,405.36 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $235,059,269,335.41 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $239,932,957,637.00 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $248,718,422,075.40 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $267,155,071,900.51 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $279,050,719,005.05 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $289,503,497,862.42 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $302,457,248,348.23 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $313,070,345,899.73 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $326,793,626,117.37 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $349,911,581,811.12 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $366,584,726,000.78 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $376,203,847,648.66 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $385,502,331,908.28 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $392,588,418,188.88 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $404,099,300,427.52 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $407,530,120,481.93 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $425,453,750,485.81 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $443,922,464,049.75 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $456,267,003,497.86 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $477,429,071,123.20 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $495,224,446,171.78 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $507,408,666,925.77 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $514,270,307,034.59 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $513,276,331,130.98 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $507,729,304,314.03 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $506,735,328,410.42 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $511,160,124,368.44 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $511,833,462,883.79 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $505,164,205,207.93 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $498,559,075,009.72 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $489,677,419,354.84 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $477,204,624,951.42 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $465,084,531,675.09 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $463,385,153,517.30 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $459,954,333,462.88 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $459,601,632,335.79 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $457,863,457,054.02 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $457,512,038,476.49 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $462,018,596,968.52 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $459,805,878,352.12 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $469,838,942,868.25 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $485,821,754,760.98 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $490,234,045,860.86 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $490,630,033,035.37 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $484,428,585,308.98 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $484,978,157,792.46 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $483,310,843,373.49 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $483,474,047,804.12 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $477,307,228,915.66 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $454,325,223,474.54 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $465,537,271,667.31 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $488,962,077,341.62 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $502,420,831,713.95 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $505,899,106,101.83 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $506,556,733,385.15 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $502,829,965,021.38 | -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 |