Private transportation priced at $20 in 1948 $226.08 in 2023

Private Transportation Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Private Transportation, 1948-2023 ($20)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for private transportation are 1,030.40% higher in 2023 versus 1948 (a $206.08 difference in value).

Between 1948 and 2023: Private transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.29% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, private transportation costing $20 in the year 1948 would cost $226.08 in 2023 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.43% during this same period, inflation for private transportation was lower.

In the year 1948: Pricing changed by 10.68%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for private transportation during the 1948-2023 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1948 (7.72%), inflation for private transportation was higher.

Price Inflation for Private transportation since 1935

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1980 (17.34%), 2021 (15.63%), and 2022 (15.47%).

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Buying power of $20.00 since 1948

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Private transportation, over time, for $20 beginning in 1948. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1948$20.0010.68%
1949$21.226.08%
1950$21.260.22%
1951$22.214.46%
1952$23.716.76%
1953$24.131.77%
1954$23.56-2.38%
1955$23.16-1.70%
1956$23.491.41%
1957$24.855.80%
1958$25.623.09%
1959$26.724.33%
1960$26.57-0.57%
1961$26.780.80%
1962$27.291.89%
1963$27.410.42%
1964$27.781.36%
1965$28.231.63%
1966$28.571.21%
1967$29.342.69%
1968$30.212.96%
1969$31.243.40%
1970$32.574.28%
1971$34.204.98%
1972$34.450.74%
1973$35.633.41%
1974$40.0512.43%
1975$43.929.65%
1976$48.279.91%
1977$51.797.28%
1978$54.244.75%
1979$62.2814.81%
1980$73.0817.34%
1981$81.3811.37%
1982$84.333.63%
1983$86.202.21%
1984$89.924.32%
1985$92.152.48%
1986$87.85-4.67%
1987$90.493.00%
1988$93.383.19%
1989$98.024.98%
1990$103.155.23%
1991$105.832.60%
1992$108.182.22%
1993$110.702.33%
1994$114.063.04%
1995$118.303.71%
1996$121.562.75%
1997$122.380.68%
1998$119.71-2.18%
1999$121.951.87%
2000$129.466.15%
2001$130.250.61%
2002$129.15-0.85%
2003$133.333.24%
2004$138.343.76%
2005$147.756.80%
2006$153.623.97%
2007$156.942.16%
2008$165.845.68%
2009$151.71-8.52%
2010$163.858.00%
2011$180.2610.01%
2012$184.692.46%
2013$184.39-0.17%
2014$183.17-0.66%
2015$168.15-8.20%
2016$164.51-2.17%
2017$170.703.76%
2018$179.214.99%
2019$178.64-0.32%
2020$172.46-3.46%
2021$199.4115.63%
2022$230.2715.47%
2023$226.08-1.82%*

* 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 Private transportation:

Year19351936193719381939194019411942194319441945194619471948194919501951195219531954195519561957195819591960196119621963196419651966196719681969197019711972197319741975197619771978197919801981198219831984198519861987198819891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023
CPI14.62514.88315.40015.44014.90014.74015.62017.74017.36017.40017.30018.52020.81523.03824.43824.49225.58527.31527.80027.13826.67727.05428.62329.50830.78530.60830.85431.43831.56932.00032.52332.91533.80034.80035.98537.52339.39239.68541.03846.13850.59255.60859.65462.48571.73884.17793.74697.14699.292103.585106.154101.200104.238107.562112.915118.815121.908124.615127.515131.392136.269140.023140.969137.900140.477149.123150.038148.769153.585159.362170.192176.954180.778191.039174.762188.747207.641212.752212.399210.994193.698189.502196.635206.442205.774198.661229.703265.249260.427

Adjust private transportation prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2023 / CPI in 1948 * 1948 USD value = 2023 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Private transportation was 23.038 in the year 1948 and 260.427 in 2023:

260.427 / 23.038 * $20 = $226.08

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 1948 has the same "purchasing power" as $226.08 in 2023 (in the CPI category of Private transportation).


Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Private transportation in 1935. In addition to private transportation, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.

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