According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for apparel are 199.56% higher in 2025 versus 1955 (a $1,995,573,094.17 difference in value).
Between 1955 and 2025: Apparel experienced an average inflation rate of 1.58% per year. In other words, apparel costing $1,000,000,000 in the year 1955 would cost $2,995,573,094.17 in 2025 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 1955: Pricing changed by -0.32%, which is below the average yearly change for apparel during the 1955-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1955 (-0.29%), inflation for apparel was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apparel, over time, for $1,000,000,000 beginning in 1955. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1955 | $1,000,000,000.00 | -0.32% |
| 1956 | $1,020,089,686.10 | 2.01% |
| 1957 | $1,037,668,161.43 | 1.72% |
| 1958 | $1,041,614,349.78 | 0.38% |
| 1959 | $1,049,865,470.85 | 0.79% |
| 1960 | $1,065,650,224.22 | 1.50% |
| 1961 | $1,074,080,717.49 | 0.79% |
| 1962 | $1,080,000,000.00 | 0.55% |
| 1963 | $1,093,273,542.60 | 1.23% |
| 1964 | $1,102,600,896.86 | 0.85% |
| 1965 | $1,113,183,856.50 | 0.96% |
| 1966 | $1,142,959,641.26 | 2.67% |
| 1967 | $1,189,596,412.56 | 4.08% |
| 1968 | $1,253,094,170.40 | 5.34% |
| 1969 | $1,325,201,793.72 | 5.75% |
| 1970 | $1,379,910,313.90 | 4.13% |
| 1971 | $1,424,573,991.03 | 3.24% |
| 1972 | $1,453,991,031.39 | 2.06% |
| 1973 | $1,507,264,573.99 | 3.66% |
| 1974 | $1,619,013,452.91 | 7.41% |
| 1975 | $1,691,121,076.23 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | $1,754,439,461.88 | 3.74% |
| 1977 | $1,833,004,484.30 | 4.48% |
| 1978 | $1,897,399,103.14 | 3.51% |
| 1979 | $1,980,448,430.49 | 4.38% |
| 1980 | $2,120,538,116.59 | 7.07% |
| 1981 | $2,221,704,035.87 | 4.77% |
| 1982 | $2,280,000,000.00 | 2.62% |
| 1983 | $2,336,322,869.96 | 2.47% |
| 1984 | $2,379,372,197.31 | 1.84% |
| 1985 | $2,448,968,609.87 | 2.92% |
| 1986 | $2,469,775,784.75 | 0.85% |
| 1987 | $2,578,475,336.32 | 4.40% |
| 1988 | $2,690,403,587.44 | 4.34% |
| 1989 | $2,765,201,793.72 | 2.78% |
| 1990 | $2,893,452,914.80 | 4.64% |
| 1991 | $3,001,255,605.38 | 3.73% |
| 1992 | $3,075,156,950.67 | 2.46% |
| 1993 | $3,116,771,300.45 | 1.35% |
| 1994 | $3,110,672,645.74 | -0.20% |
| 1995 | $3,077,130,044.84 | -1.08% |
| 1996 | $3,071,031,390.13 | -0.20% |
| 1997 | $3,097,937,219.73 | 0.88% |
| 1998 | $3,101,883,408.07 | 0.13% |
| 1999 | $3,061,524,663.68 | -1.30% |
| 2000 | $3,021,524,663.68 | -1.31% |
| 2001 | $2,967,713,004.48 | -1.78% |
| 2002 | $2,892,017,937.22 | -2.55% |
| 2003 | $2,818,654,708.52 | -2.54% |
| 2004 | $2,808,251,121.08 | -0.37% |
| 2005 | $2,787,443,946.19 | -0.74% |
| 2006 | $2,785,470,852.02 | -0.07% |
| 2007 | $2,774,846,636.77 | -0.38% |
| 2008 | $2,772,717,488.79 | -0.08% |
| 2009 | $2,800,028,699.55 | 0.98% |
| 2010 | $2,786,618,834.08 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | $2,847,424,215.25 | 2.18% |
| 2012 | $2,944,286,995.52 | 3.40% |
| 2013 | $2,971,026,008.97 | 0.91% |
| 2014 | $2,973,426,008.97 | 0.08% |
| 2015 | $2,935,843,946.19 | -1.26% |
| 2016 | $2,939,173,094.17 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | $2,929,069,058.30 | -0.34% |
| 2018 | $2,930,057,399.10 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | $2,892,685,201.79 | -1.28% |
| 2020 | $2,753,404,484.30 | -4.81% |
| 2021 | $2,821,354,260.09 | 2.47% |
| 2022 | $2,963,318,385.65 | 5.03% |
| 2023 | $3,044,884,304.93 | 2.75% |
| 2024 | $3,065,964,125.56 | 0.69% |
| 2025 | $2,995,573,094.17 | -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 |