According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,761.91% higher in 2025 versus 1938 (a $1,145,239.87 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 $65,000 in the year 1938 would cost $1,210,239.87 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 $65,000 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 | $65,000.00 | 0.41% |
| 1939 | $63,577.29 | -2.19% |
| 1940 | $63,221.61 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $65,622.44 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $71,224.35 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $70,779.75 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $70,690.83 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $70,690.83 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $74,958.96 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $82,045.14 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $91,484.27 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $98,324.21 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $100,854.99 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $107,318.74 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $114,398.08 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $117,681.26 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $115,971.27 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $114,569.08 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $116,621.07 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $123,119.02 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $127,188.78 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $132,455.54 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $132,421.34 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $133,926.13 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $136,730.51 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $137,482.90 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $139,534.88 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $141,826.27 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $143,844.05 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $147,948.02 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $152,667.58 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $158,549.93 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $166,689.47 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $175,444.60 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $177,496.58 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $183,105.34 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $203,625.17 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $222,742.82 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $244,904.24 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $262,175.10 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $274,452.80 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $313,577.29 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $369,425.44 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $414,158.69 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $431,224.35 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $441,518.47 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $461,114.91 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $473,290.01 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $454,890.56 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $468,638.85 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $483,105.34 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $507,284.54 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $535,807.11 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $550,547.20 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $562,585.50 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $579,582.76 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $597,093.02 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $618,467.85 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $635,909.71 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $641,450.07 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $629,343.37 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $641,997.26 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $681,703.15 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $685,807.11 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $679,616.96 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $700,513.00 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $725,136.80 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $773,187.41 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $804,103.97 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $821,087.89 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $869,405.27 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $796,949.73 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $859,831.40 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $944,171.68 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $966,274.28 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $966,604.31 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $960,058.14 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $885,043.09 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $866,490.08 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $896,151.16 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $936,602.60 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $933,955.88 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $895,124.83 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $1,025,492.82 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $1,184,093.02 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $1,186,976.40 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $1,203,456.91 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $1,210,239.87 | 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 |