According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,761.91% higher in 2025 versus 1938 (a $1,761,907.49 difference in value).
Between 1938 and 2025: Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.42% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $100,000 in the year 1938 would cost $1,861,907.49 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.66% during this same period, inflation for transportation was lower.
In the year 1938: Pricing changed by 0.41%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for transportation during the 1938-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1938 (-2.03%), inflation for transportation was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Transportation, over time, for $100,000 beginning in 1938. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1938 | $100,000.00 | 0.41% |
| 1939 | $97,811.22 | -2.19% |
| 1940 | $97,264.02 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $100,957.59 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $109,575.92 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $108,891.93 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $108,755.13 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $108,755.13 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $115,321.48 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $126,223.30 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $140,745.03 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $151,268.02 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $155,161.53 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $165,105.76 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $175,997.05 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $181,048.09 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $178,417.34 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $176,260.13 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $179,417.03 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $189,413.87 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $195,675.05 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $203,777.75 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $203,725.14 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $206,040.20 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $210,354.62 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $211,512.15 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $214,669.05 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $218,194.25 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $221,298.54 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $227,612.33 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $234,873.20 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $243,922.97 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $256,445.33 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $269,914.76 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $273,071.66 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $281,700.52 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $313,269.49 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $342,681.26 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $376,775.76 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $403,346.31 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $422,235.08 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $482,426.60 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $568,346.84 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $637,167.21 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $663,422.08 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $679,259.18 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $709,407.56 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $728,138.48 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $699,831.63 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $720,982.85 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $743,238.98 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $780,437.76 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $824,318.64 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $846,995.69 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $865,516.15 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $891,665.79 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $918,604.65 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $951,489.00 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $978,322.63 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $986,846.26 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $968,220.56 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $987,688.10 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $1,048,774.07 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $1,055,087.87 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $1,045,564.56 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $1,077,712.30 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $1,115,595.08 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $1,189,519.10 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $1,237,083.03 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $1,263,212.14 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $1,337,546.56 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $1,226,076.50 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $1,322,817.53 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $1,452,571.82 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $1,486,575.82 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $1,487,083.55 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $1,477,012.52 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $1,361,604.76 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $1,333,061.66 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $1,378,694.10 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $1,440,927.08 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $1,436,855.20 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $1,377,115.12 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $1,577,681.26 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $1,821,681.57 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $1,826,117.54 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $1,851,472.17 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $1,861,907.49 | 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 |