According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 206.38% higher in 2025 versus 1955 (a $491,987,102,367.71 difference in value).
Between 1955 and 2025: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.61% per year. In other words, apparel costing $238,392,000,000 in the year 1955 would cost $730,379,102,367.71 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 $238,392,000,000 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 | $238,392,000,000.00 | -0.32% |
| 1956 | $243,181,220,448.43 | 2.01% |
| 1957 | $247,371,788,340.81 | 1.72% |
| 1958 | $248,312,528,071.75 | 0.38% |
| 1959 | $250,279,529,327.35 | 0.79% |
| 1960 | $254,042,488,251.12 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $256,052,250,403.59 | 0.79% |
| 1962 | $257,463,360,000.00 | 0.55% |
| 1963 | $260,627,666,367.71 | 1.23% |
| 1964 | $262,851,233,004.48 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $265,374,125,919.28 | 0.96% |
| 1966 | $272,472,434,798.21 | 2.67% |
| 1967 | $283,590,267,982.06 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $298,727,625,470.85 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $315,917,506,008.97 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $328,959,579,551.57 | 4.13% |
| 1971 | $339,607,042,869.96 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $346,619,829,955.16 | 2.06% |
| 1973 | $359,319,816,322.87 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $385,959,855,067.26 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $403,149,735,605.38 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $418,244,332,197.31 | 3.74% |
| 1977 | $436,973,605,022.42 | 4.48% |
| 1978 | $452,324,766,995.52 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $472,123,062,242.15 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $505,519,322,690.58 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $529,636,468,520.18 | 4.77% |
| 1982 | $543,533,760,000.00 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $556,960,681,614.35 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $567,223,296,860.99 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $583,814,524,843.05 | 2.92% |
| 1986 | $588,774,788,878.92 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $614,687,892,376.68 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $641,370,692,017.94 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $659,201,986,008.97 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $689,776,027,264.57 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $715,475,326,278.03 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $733,092,815,784.75 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $743,013,343,856.50 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $741,559,473,363.23 | -0.20% |
| 1995 | $733,563,185,650.22 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $732,109,315,156.95 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $738,523,449,686.10 | 0.88% |
| 1998 | $739,464,189,417.04 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $729,842,987,623.32 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $720,307,307,623.32 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $707,479,038,565.02 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $689,433,940,089.69 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $671,944,733,273.54 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $669,464,601,255.61 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $664,504,337,219.73 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $664,033,967,354.26 | -0.07% |
| 2007 | $661,501,239,433.18 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $660,993,667,587.44 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $667,504,441,743.50 | 0.98% |
| 2010 | $664,307,637,094.17 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $678,803,153,521.08 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $701,894,465,434.98 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $708,268,832,330.04 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $708,840,973,130.04 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $699,881,710,019.73 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $700,675,352,265.47 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $698,266,630,945.29 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $698,502,243,487.00 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $689,593,010,626.01 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $656,389,601,822.42 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $672,588,284,771.30 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $706,431,396,591.93 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $725,876,059,221.52 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $730,901,319,820.63 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $730,379,102,367.71 | -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 |