According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 83.95% higher in 2026 versus 1975 (a $2,770,293,691,830.40 difference in value).
Between 1975 and 2026:Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.20% per year. In other words, apparel costing $3,300,000,000,000 in the year 1975 would cost $6,070,293,691,830.40 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.60% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1975: Pricing changed by 4.45%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for apparel during the 1975-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1975 (9.14%), inflation for apparel was much lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $3,300,000,000,000 beginning in 1975. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | $3,300,000,000,000.00 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $3,423,612,547,397.45 | 3.75% |
| 1977 | $3,576,801,103,067.91 | 4.47% |
| 1978 | $3,702,309,548,431.58 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $3,864,598,414,339.88 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $4,137,986,901,068.60 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $4,335,160,289,555.33 | 4.76% |
| 1982 | $4,448,914,167,528.44 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $4,558,876,249,569.11 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $4,642,674,939,675.98 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $4,778,800,413,650.47 | 2.93% |
| 1986 | $4,819,372,630,127.54 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $5,031,334,022,750.78 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $5,249,741,468,459.15 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $5,395,725,611,857.98 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $5,645,984,143,398.83 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $5,856,428,817,649.09 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $6,000,517,063,081.70 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $6,081,661,496,035.85 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $6,069,906,928,645.30 | -0.19% |
| 1995 | $6,004,308,859,014.14 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $5,992,554,291,623.58 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $6,044,881,075,491.21 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $6,052,843,846,949.33 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $5,973,974,491,554.64 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $5,895,863,495,346.43 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $5,790,830,748,017.93 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $5,643,329,886,246.12 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $5,500,000,000,000.00 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $5,479,903,481,558.08 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $5,439,331,265,081.01 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $5,435,160,289,555.33 | -0.08% |
| 2007 | $5,414,604,963,805.59 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $5,410,449,155,463.63 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $5,463,742,847,294.04 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | $5,437,575,663,564.29 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $5,556,224,750,086.18 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $5,745,234,401,930.37 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $5,797,413,305,756.64 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $5,802,096,173,733.20 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $5,728,759,048,603.93 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $5,735,258,186,832.13 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $5,715,540,847,983.46 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $5,717,470,872,113.07 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $5,644,543,260,944.50 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $5,372,762,495,691.14 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $5,505,354,015,856.60 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $5,782,371,251,292.66 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $5,941,531,885,556.71 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $5,982,665,287,831.78 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $5,990,442,261,289.21 | 0.13% |
| 2026 | $6,070,293,691,830.40 | 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 |