According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,816.98% higher in 2025 versus 1935 (a $45,424,449,823.94 difference in value).
Between 1935 and 2025: Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.34% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $2,500,000,000 in the year 1935 would cost $47,924,449,823.94 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.56% during this same period, inflation for transportation was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Transportation, over time, for $2,500,000,000 beginning in 1935. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1935 | $2,500,000,000.00 | - |
| 1936 | $2,511,737,089.20 | 0.47% |
| 1937 | $2,563,380,281.69 | 2.06% |
| 1938 | $2,573,943,661.97 | 0.41% |
| 1939 | $2,517,605,633.80 | -2.19% |
| 1940 | $2,503,521,126.76 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $2,598,591,549.30 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $2,820,422,535.21 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $2,802,816,901.41 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $2,799,295,774.65 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $2,799,295,774.65 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $2,968,309,859.15 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $3,248,916,576.38 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $3,622,697,724.81 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $3,893,553,629.47 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $3,993,770,314.19 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $4,249,729,144.10 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $4,530,065,005.42 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $4,660,075,839.65 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $4,592,361,863.49 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $4,536,836,403.03 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $4,618,093,174.43 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $4,875,406,283.86 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $5,036,565,547.13 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $5,245,124,593.72 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $5,243,770,314.19 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $5,303,358,613.22 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $5,414,409,534.13 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $5,444,203,683.64 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $5,525,460,455.04 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $5,616,197,183.10 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $5,696,099,674.97 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $5,858,613,217.77 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $6,045,503,791.98 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $6,278,439,869.99 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $6,600,758,396.53 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $6,947,453,954.50 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $7,028,710,725.89 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $7,250,812,567.71 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $8,063,380,281.69 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $8,820,422,535.21 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $9,697,995,666.31 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $10,381,906,825.57 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $10,868,093,174.43 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $12,417,388,949.08 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $14,628,927,410.62 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $16,400,325,027.09 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $17,076,110,509.21 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $17,483,748,645.72 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $18,259,750,812.57 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $18,741,874,322.86 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $18,013,271,939.33 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $18,557,692,307.69 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $19,130,552,546.05 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $20,088,028,169.01 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $21,217,497,291.44 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $21,801,191,765.98 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $22,277,898,158.18 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $22,950,975,081.26 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $23,644,366,197.18 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $24,490,790,899.24 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $25,181,473,456.12 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $25,400,866,738.89 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $24,921,451,787.65 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $25,422,535,211.27 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $26,994,853,737.81 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $27,157,367,280.61 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $26,912,242,686.89 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $27,739,707,475.62 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $28,714,788,732.39 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $30,617,551,462.62 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $31,841,820,151.68 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $32,514,368,905.74 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $34,427,695,016.25 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $31,558,518,418.20 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $34,048,578,006.50 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $37,388,380,281.69 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $38,263,624,052.00 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $38,276,692,849.40 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $38,017,470,205.85 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $35,046,939,328.28 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $34,312,256,229.69 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $35,486,809,317.44 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $37,088,651,137.59 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $36,983,843,445.29 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $35,446,167,388.95 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $40,608,626,760.56 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $46,889,057,421.45 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $47,003,236,728.06 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $47,655,850,487.54 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $47,924,449,823.94 | 0.56%* |
* 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 Transportation:
| Year | 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 | 14.200 | 14.267 | 14.560 | 14.620 | 14.300 | 14.220 | 14.760 | 16.020 | 15.920 | 15.900 | 15.900 | 16.860 | 18.454 | 20.577 | 22.115 | 22.685 | 24.138 | 25.731 | 26.469 | 26.085 | 25.769 | 26.231 | 27.692 | 28.608 | 29.792 | 29.785 | 30.123 | 30.754 | 30.923 | 31.385 | 31.900 | 32.354 | 33.277 | 34.338 | 35.662 | 37.492 | 39.462 | 39.923 | 41.185 | 45.800 | 50.100 | 55.085 | 58.969 | 61.731 | 70.531 | 83.092 | 93.154 | 96.992 | 99.308 | 103.715 | 106.454 | 102.315 | 105.408 | 108.662 | 114.100 | 120.515 | 123.831 | 126.538 | 130.362 | 134.300 | 139.108 | 143.031 | 144.277 | 141.554 | 144.400 | 153.331 | 154.254 | 152.862 | 157.562 | 163.100 | 173.908 | 180.862 | 184.682 | 195.549 | 179.252 | 193.396 | 212.366 | 217.337 | 217.412 | 215.939 | 199.067 | 194.894 | 201.565 | 210.664 | 210.068 | 201.334 | 230.657 | 266.330 | 266.978 | 270.685 | 272.211 |