According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 191.92% higher in 2026 versus 1960 (a $694,758,796,498.91 difference in value).
Between 1960 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.64% per year. In other words, apparel costing $362,000,000,000 in the year 1960 would cost $1,056,758,796,498.91 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.70% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1960: Pricing changed by 1.50%, which is below the average yearly change for apparel during the 1960-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1960 (1.46%), inflation for apparel was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $362,000,000,000 beginning in 1960. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | $362,000,000,000.00 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $364,838,439,095.55 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $366,884,755,652.81 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $371,373,450,036.47 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $374,541,940,189.64 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $378,106,491,611.96 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $388,272,064,186.73 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $404,114,514,952.59 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $425,699,854,121.08 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $450,189,642,596.64 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $468,738,512,035.01 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $483,920,860,685.63 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $493,954,412,837.35 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $512,041,210,795.04 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $549,997,082,421.59 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $574,486,870,897.16 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $596,006,199,854.12 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $622,674,325,309.99 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $644,523,705,324.58 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $672,776,075,857.04 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $720,369,438,366.16 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $754,694,748,358.86 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $774,497,811,816.19 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $793,640,773,158.28 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $808,229,029,905.18 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $831,926,695,842.45 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $838,989,788,475.57 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $875,889,496,717.72 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $913,911,378,555.80 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $939,325,309,992.71 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $982,892,049,598.83 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $1,019,527,716,994.89 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $1,044,611,597,374.18 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $1,058,737,782,640.41 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $1,056,691,466,083.15 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $1,045,271,699,489.42 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $1,043,225,382,932.17 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $1,052,334,792,122.54 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $1,053,721,006,564.55 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $1,039,990,882,567.47 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $1,026,392,778,993.44 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $1,008,107,950,401.17 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $982,429,978,118.16 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $957,478,118,161.93 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $953,979,576,951.13 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $946,916,484,318.02 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $946,190,371,991.25 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $942,611,958,424.51 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $941,888,486,506.20 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $951,166,221,735.96 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $946,610,857,038.66 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $967,266,112,326.77 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $1,000,170,222,465.35 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $1,009,253,887,673.23 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $1,010,069,113,785.56 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $997,302,078,774.62 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $998,433,493,800.15 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $995,000,962,800.88 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $995,336,954,777.53 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $982,641,210,795.04 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $935,327,731,582.79 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $958,410,182,348.65 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $1,006,635,262,582.06 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $1,034,343,048,869.44 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $1,041,503,836,615.61 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $1,042,857,706,053.98 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $1,056,758,796,498.91 | 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 |