According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,803.57% higher in 2025 versus 1939 (a $3,066,073.34 difference in value).
Between 1939 and 2025: Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.49% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $170,000 in the year 1939 would cost $3,236,073.34 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.72% during this same period, inflation for transportation was lower.
In the year 1939: Pricing changed by -2.19%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for transportation during the 1939-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1939 (-1.31%), inflation for transportation was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Transportation, over time, for $170,000 beginning in 1939. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1939 | $170,000.00 | -2.19% |
| 1940 | $169,048.95 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $175,468.53 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $190,447.55 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $189,258.74 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $189,020.98 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $189,020.98 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $200,433.57 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $219,381.39 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $244,620.76 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $262,910.17 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $269,677.25 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $286,960.73 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $305,890.26 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $314,669.18 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $310,096.83 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $306,347.50 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $311,834.32 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $329,209.25 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $340,091.45 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $354,174.29 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $354,082.84 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $358,106.51 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $365,605.16 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $367,617.00 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $373,103.82 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $379,230.77 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $384,626.14 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $395,599.78 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $408,219.47 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $423,948.36 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $445,712.75 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $469,123.18 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $474,610.01 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $489,607.32 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $544,475.52 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $595,594.41 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $654,852.07 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $701,032.81 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $733,862.29 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $838,477.68 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $987,810.65 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $1,107,423.35 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $1,153,055.41 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $1,180,580.96 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $1,232,980.10 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $1,265,535.23 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $1,216,336.74 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $1,253,098.44 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $1,291,780.53 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $1,356,433.57 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $1,432,700.38 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $1,472,114.04 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $1,504,303.39 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $1,549,752.56 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $1,596,573.43 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $1,653,727.81 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $1,700,365.79 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $1,715,180.20 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $1,682,807.96 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $1,716,643.36 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $1,822,813.34 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $1,833,786.98 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $1,817,235.07 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $1,873,109.20 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $1,938,951.05 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $2,067,434.10 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $2,150,102.21 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $2,195,515.71 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $2,324,712.05 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $2,130,972.40 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $2,299,112.37 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $2,524,630.77 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $2,583,731.15 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $2,584,613.61 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $2,567,109.74 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $2,366,526.20 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $2,316,917.11 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $2,396,228.19 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $2,504,391.72 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $2,497,314.63 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $2,393,483.86 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $2,742,076.22 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $3,166,159.01 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $3,173,868.91 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $3,217,936.31 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $3,236,073.34 | 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 |