According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 183.95% higher in 2026 versus 1960 (a $10,668,827,133,479.21 difference in value).
Between 1960 and 2026: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.59% per year. In other words, apparel costing $5,800,000,000,000 in the year 1960 would cost $16,468,827,133,479.21 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.69% 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 $5,800,000,000,000 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 | $5,800,000,000,000.00 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $5,845,477,753,464.62 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $5,878,264,040,846.10 | 0.56% |
| 1963 | $5,950,182,348,650.62 | 1.22% |
| 1964 | $6,000,948,212,983.22 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $6,058,059,810,357.40 | 0.95% |
| 1966 | $6,220,933,625,091.18 | 2.69% |
| 1967 | $6,474,762,946,754.20 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $6,820,605,397,520.06 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $7,212,983,223,924.15 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $7,510,175,054,704.60 | 4.12% |
| 1971 | $7,753,428,154,631.66 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $7,914,186,725,018.24 | 2.07% |
| 1973 | $8,203,975,200,583.52 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $8,812,107,950,401.17 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $9,204,485,776,805.25 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $9,549,270,605,397.52 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $9,976,549,963,530.27 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $10,326,622,902,990.52 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $10,779,285,193,289.57 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $11,541,830,780,452.23 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $12,091,794,310,722.10 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $12,409,080,962,800.88 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $12,715,791,393,143.69 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $12,949,525,893,508.39 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $13,329,212,253,829.32 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $13,442,377,826,404.09 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $14,033,588,621,444.20 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $14,642,778,993,435.45 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $15,049,963,530,269.88 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $15,747,994,164,843.18 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $16,334,974,471,188.92 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $16,736,870,897,155.36 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $16,963,202,042,304.89 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $16,930,415,754,923.42 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $16,747,447,118,891.32 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $16,714,660,831,509.85 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $16,860,612,691,466.09 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $16,882,822,757,111.60 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $16,662,837,345,003.65 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $16,444,967,177,242.89 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $16,152,005,835,156.82 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $15,740,590,809,628.01 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $15,340,809,628,008.76 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $15,284,755,652,808.17 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $15,171,590,080,233.41 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $15,159,956,236,323.86 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $15,102,622,538,293.22 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $15,091,030,999,270.61 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $15,239,679,795,769.52 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $15,166,693,289,569.66 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $15,497,633,843,909.56 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $16,024,826,768,781.92 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $16,170,366,156,090.45 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $16,183,427,789,934.36 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $15,978,873,085,339.17 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $15,997,000,729,394.60 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $15,942,004,376,367.62 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $15,947,387,673,231.22 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $15,743,975,200,583.52 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $14,985,913,931,436.91 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $15,355,743,253,099.93 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $16,128,410,284,463.90 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $16,572,347,191,830.78 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $16,687,078,045,222.47 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $16,749,516,212,452.76 | 0.37% |
| 2026 | $16,468,827,133,479.21 | -1.68%* |
* 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 | 131.975 | 129.763 |