According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,761.91% higher in 2025 versus 1938 (a $8,633,346.70 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 $490,000 in the year 1938 would cost $9,123,346.70 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 $490,000 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 | $490,000.00 | 0.41% |
| 1939 | $479,274.97 | -2.19% |
| 1940 | $476,593.71 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $494,692.20 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $536,922.02 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $533,570.45 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $532,900.14 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $532,900.14 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $565,075.24 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $618,494.16 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $689,650.64 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $741,213.30 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $760,291.49 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $809,018.20 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $862,385.56 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $887,135.64 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $874,244.98 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $863,674.63 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $879,143.43 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $928,127.96 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $958,807.74 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $998,511.00 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $998,253.18 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $1,009,596.97 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $1,030,737.66 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $1,036,409.55 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $1,051,878.35 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $1,069,151.85 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $1,084,362.83 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $1,115,300.43 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $1,150,878.67 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $1,195,222.56 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $1,256,582.13 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $1,322,582.34 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $1,338,051.14 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $1,380,332.53 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $1,535,020.52 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $1,679,138.17 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $1,846,201.20 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $1,976,396.93 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $2,068,951.91 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $2,363,890.35 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $2,784,899.51 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $3,122,119.33 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $3,250,768.18 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $3,328,369.99 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $3,476,097.02 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $3,567,878.56 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $3,429,175.00 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $3,532,815.95 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $3,641,870.99 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $3,824,145.01 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $4,039,161.32 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $4,150,278.86 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $4,241,029.15 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $4,369,162.37 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $4,501,162.79 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $4,662,296.12 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $4,793,780.91 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $4,835,546.67 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $4,744,280.75 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $4,839,671.68 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $5,138,992.95 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $5,169,930.55 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $5,123,266.34 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $5,280,790.28 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $5,466,415.87 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $5,828,643.59 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $6,061,706.83 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $6,189,739.50 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $6,553,978.16 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $6,007,774.86 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $6,481,805.90 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $7,117,601.92 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $7,284,221.51 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $7,286,709.41 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $7,237,361.36 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $6,671,863.31 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $6,532,002.16 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $6,755,601.07 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $7,060,542.67 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $7,040,590.50 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $6,747,864.10 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $7,730,638.17 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $8,926,239.71 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $8,947,975.95 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $9,072,213.62 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $9,123,346.70 | 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 |