According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 488.90% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $117,335,638.51 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2025: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 2.11% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, apparel costing $24,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $141,335,638.51 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.74% during this same period, inflation for apparel was lower.
In the year 1940: Pricing changed by 0.90%, which is below the average yearly change for apparel during the 1940-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1940 (0.72%), inflation for apparel was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $24,000,000 beginning in 1940. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | $24,000,000.00 | 0.90% |
| 1941 | $25,101,405.47 | 4.59% |
| 1942 | $29,375,245.58 | 17.03% |
| 1943 | $30,644,703.04 | 4.32% |
| 1944 | $32,794,317.67 | 7.01% |
| 1945 | $34,486,927.61 | 5.16% |
| 1946 | $37,838,295.30 | 9.72% |
| 1947 | $43,855,523.65 | 15.90% |
| 1948 | $46,766,812.76 | 6.64% |
| 1949 | $44,921,867.92 | -3.94% |
| 1950 | $44,320,991.39 | -1.34% |
| 1951 | $48,324,013.90 | 9.03% |
| 1952 | $47,807,767.87 | -1.07% |
| 1953 | $47,494,635.03 | -0.65% |
| 1954 | $47,333,837.09 | -0.34% |
| 1955 | $47,181,502.19 | -0.32% |
| 1956 | $48,129,363.76 | 2.01% |
| 1957 | $48,958,742.63 | 1.72% |
| 1958 | $49,144,929.73 | 0.38% |
| 1959 | $49,534,230.01 | 0.79% |
| 1960 | $50,278,978.39 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $50,676,741.73 | 0.79% |
| 1962 | $50,956,022.37 | 0.55% |
| 1963 | $51,582,288.05 | 1.23% |
| 1964 | $52,022,366.63 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $52,521,686.56 | 0.96% |
| 1966 | $53,926,552.82 | 2.67% |
| 1967 | $56,126,945.75 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $59,122,865.35 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $62,525,011.33 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $65,106,241.50 | 4.13% |
| 1971 | $67,213,540.88 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $68,601,481.03 | 2.06% |
| 1973 | $71,115,006.80 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $76,387,486.78 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $79,789,632.76 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $82,777,089.32 | 3.74% |
| 1977 | $86,483,905.09 | 4.48% |
| 1978 | $89,522,139.94 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $93,440,531.96 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $100,050,173.79 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $104,823,333.84 | 4.77% |
| 1982 | $107,573,825.00 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $110,231,222.61 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $112,262,354.54 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $115,546,017.83 | 2.92% |
| 1986 | $116,527,731.60 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $121,656,339.73 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $126,937,282.76 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $130,466,374.49 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $136,517,455.04 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $141,603,747.92 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $145,090,524.41 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $147,053,951.94 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $146,766,208.25 | -0.20% |
| 1995 | $145,183,617.95 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $144,895,874.26 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $146,165,331.72 | 0.88% |
| 1998 | $146,351,518.82 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $144,447,332.63 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $142,560,072.54 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $140,021,157.62 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $136,449,750.64 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $132,988,363.31 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $132,497,506.42 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $131,515,792.66 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $131,422,699.11 | -0.07% |
| 2007 | $130,921,432.67 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $130,820,976.27 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $132,109,560.22 | 0.98% |
| 2010 | $131,476,862.63 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $134,345,751.85 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $138,915,883.33 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $140,177,470.15 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $140,290,705.76 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $138,517,527.58 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $138,674,601.78 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $138,197,878.19 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $138,244,509.60 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $136,481,233.19 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $129,909,759.71 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $133,115,732.20 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $139,813,812.91 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $143,662,215.51 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $144,656,793.11 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $141,335,638.51 | -2.30%* |
* 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 | 128.464 |