According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 185.96% higher in 2026 versus 1960 (a $790,341,903,719.91 difference in value).
Between 1960 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.60% per year. In other words, apparel costing $425,000,000,000 in the year 1960 would cost $1,215,341,903,719.91 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 $425,000,000,000 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 | $425,000,000,000.00 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $428,332,421,590.08 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $430,734,865,062.00 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $436,004,741,064.92 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $439,724,653,537.56 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $443,909,555,069.29 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $455,844,274,252.37 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $474,443,836,615.61 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $499,785,740,335.52 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $528,537,563,822.03 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $550,314,551,422.32 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $568,139,132,020.42 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $579,918,854,850.47 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $601,153,355,215.17 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $645,714,806,710.43 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $674,466,630,196.94 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $699,731,035,740.34 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $731,040,299,051.79 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $756,692,195,477.75 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $789,861,415,025.53 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $845,737,600,291.76 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $886,036,652,078.77 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $909,286,105,032.82 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $931,760,576,221.74 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $948,887,673,231.22 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $976,709,518,599.56 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $985,001,823,486.51 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $1,028,323,304,157.55 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $1,072,962,253,829.32 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $1,102,799,051,787.02 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $1,153,947,848,285.92 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $1,196,959,336,250.91 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $1,226,408,643,326.04 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $1,242,993,253,099.93 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $1,240,590,809,628.01 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $1,227,183,625,091.17 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $1,224,781,181,619.26 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $1,235,475,929,978.12 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $1,237,103,391,684.90 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $1,220,983,770,970.09 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $1,205,019,146,608.32 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $1,183,552,151,714.08 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $1,153,405,361,050.33 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $1,124,111,050,328.23 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $1,120,003,646,973.01 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $1,111,711,342,086.07 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $1,110,858,862,144.42 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $1,106,657,685,995.62 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $1,105,808,305,981.04 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $1,116,700,674,690.01 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $1,111,352,525,528.81 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $1,135,602,479,941.65 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $1,174,232,995,988.33 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $1,184,897,520,058.35 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $1,185,854,622,538.29 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $1,170,865,700,218.82 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $1,172,194,018,964.26 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $1,168,164,113,785.56 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $1,168,558,579,504.01 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $1,153,653,355,215.17 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $1,098,105,762,217.36 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $1,125,205,324,580.60 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $1,181,823,167,396.06 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $1,214,353,026,987.60 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $1,222,760,029,175.78 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $1,224,349,516,776.08 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $1,215,341,903,719.91 | -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 |