According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,757.68% higher in 2026 versus 1938 (a $5,097,281.09 difference in value).
Between 1938 and 2026: Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.38% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $290,000 in the year 1938 would cost $5,387,281.09 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.63% during this same period, inflation for transportation was lower.
In the year 1938: Pricing changed by 1.15%, which is below the average yearly change for transportation during the 1938-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1938 (-2.03%), inflation for transportation was much higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Transportation, over time, for $290,000 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 | $290,000.00 | 1.15% |
| 1939 | $282,918.80 | -2.44% |
| 1940 | $281,107.33 | -0.64% |
| 1941 | $288,353.21 | 2.58% |
| 1942 | $314,701.87 | 9.14% |
| 1943 | $315,031.23 | 0.10% |
| 1944 | $314,207.84 | -0.26% |
| 1945 | $314,207.84 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $327,382.17 | 4.19% |
| 1947 | $364,599.66 | 11.37% |
| 1948 | $406,592.84 | 11.52% |
| 1949 | $437,058.49 | 7.49% |
| 1950 | $448,256.67 | 2.56% |
| 1951 | $477,075.53 | 6.43% |
| 1952 | $508,529.24 | 6.59% |
| 1953 | $523,021.01 | 2.85% |
| 1954 | $515,445.77 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $509,187.96 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $518,409.99 | 1.81% |
| 1957 | $547,228.85 | 5.56% |
| 1958 | $565,343.55 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $588,728.00 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $588,563.32 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $595,315.16 | 1.15% |
| 1962 | $607,666.10 | 2.07% |
| 1963 | $611,124.36 | 0.57% |
| 1964 | $620,181.71 | 1.48% |
| 1965 | $630,391.82 | 1.65% |
| 1966 | $639,449.18 | 1.44% |
| 1967 | $657,563.88 | 2.83% |
| 1968 | $678,642.82 | 3.21% |
| 1969 | $704,662.12 | 3.83% |
| 1970 | $740,891.54 | 5.14% |
| 1971 | $779,755.82 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $788,977.85 | 1.18% |
| 1973 | $813,844.41 | 3.15% |
| 1974 | $905,076.66 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $990,051.11 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $1,088,529.24 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $1,165,269.73 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $1,219,943.21 | 4.69% |
| 1979 | $1,393,844.41 | 14.25% |
| 1980 | $1,642,015.90 | 17.80% |
| 1981 | $1,840,783.65 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $1,916,700.74 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $1,962,481.54 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $2,049,596.82 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $2,103,776.26 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $2,021,930.72 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $2,083,026.69 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $2,147,251.56 | 3.08% |
| 1989 | $2,254,787.05 | 5.01% |
| 1990 | $2,381,590.01 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $2,447,132.31 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $2,500,653.04 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $2,576,076.09 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $2,653,969.34 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $2,748,989.21 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $2,826,553.09 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $2,851,090.29 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $2,797,240.20 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $2,853,560.48 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $3,030,096.54 | 6.19% |
| 2001 | $3,048,211.24 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $3,020,709.82 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $3,113,588.87 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $3,223,100.51 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $3,436,689.38 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $3,574,031.80 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $3,649,584.95 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $3,864,347.98 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $3,542,296.48 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $3,821,793.24 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $4,196,670.53 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $4,294,913.17 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $4,296,378.82 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $4,267,283.30 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $3,933,854.12 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $3,851,389.38 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $3,983,228.22 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $4,163,026.58 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $4,151,263.54 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $3,978,666.61 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $4,558,128.11 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $5,263,076.77 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $5,275,893.75 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $5,349,146.34 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $5,387,530.80 | 0.72% |
| 2026 | $5,387,281.09 | 0.00%* |
* 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 | 2026 |
| CPI | 14.200 | 14.250 | 14.508 | 14.675 | 14.317 | 14.225 | 14.592 | 15.925 | 15.942 | 15.900 | 15.900 | 16.567 | 18.450 | 20.575 | 22.117 | 22.683 | 24.142 | 25.733 | 26.467 | 26.083 | 25.767 | 26.233 | 27.692 | 28.608 | 29.792 | 29.783 | 30.125 | 30.750 | 30.925 | 31.383 | 31.900 | 32.358 | 33.275 | 34.342 | 35.658 | 37.492 | 39.458 | 39.925 | 41.183 | 45.800 | 50.100 | 55.083 | 58.967 | 61.733 | 70.533 | 83.092 | 93.150 | 96.992 | 99.308 | 103.717 | 106.458 | 102.317 | 105.408 | 108.658 | 114.100 | 120.517 | 123.833 | 126.542 | 130.358 | 134.300 | 139.108 | 143.033 | 144.275 | 141.550 | 144.400 | 153.333 | 154.250 | 152.858 | 157.558 | 163.100 | 173.908 | 180.858 | 184.682 | 195.549 | 179.252 | 193.396 | 212.366 | 217.337 | 217.412 | 215.939 | 199.067 | 194.894 | 201.565 | 210.663 | 210.068 | 201.334 | 230.657 | 266.330 | 266.978 | 270.685 | 272.628 | 272.615 |