According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,803.57% higher in 2025 versus 1939 (a $3,787,502.36 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 $210,000 in the year 1939 would cost $3,997,502.36 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 $210,000 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 | $210,000.00 | -2.19% |
| 1940 | $208,825.17 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $216,755.24 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $235,258.74 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $233,790.21 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $233,496.50 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $233,496.50 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $247,594.41 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $271,000.54 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $302,178.59 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $324,771.38 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $333,130.72 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $354,480.90 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $377,864.44 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $388,708.98 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $383,060.79 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $378,429.26 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $385,207.10 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $406,670.25 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $420,112.96 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $437,509.41 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $437,396.45 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $442,366.86 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $451,629.91 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $454,115.12 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $460,892.95 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $468,461.54 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $475,126.41 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $488,682.09 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $504,271.11 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $523,700.91 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $550,586.34 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $579,505.11 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $586,282.95 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $604,809.04 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $672,587.41 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $735,734.27 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $808,934.91 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $865,981.71 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $906,535.77 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $1,035,766.54 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $1,220,236.69 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $1,367,993.54 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $1,424,362.56 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $1,458,364.71 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $1,523,093.06 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $1,563,308.23 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $1,502,533.62 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $1,547,945.13 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $1,595,728.89 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $1,675,594.41 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $1,769,806.35 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $1,818,493.81 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $1,858,257.13 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $1,914,400.22 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $1,972,237.76 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $2,042,840.24 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $2,100,451.86 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $2,118,752.02 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $2,078,762.78 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $2,120,559.44 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $2,251,710.60 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $2,265,266.27 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $2,244,819.80 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $2,313,840.77 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $2,395,174.83 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $2,553,889.19 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $2,656,008.61 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $2,712,107.64 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $2,871,703.12 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $2,632,377.68 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $2,840,079.99 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $3,118,661.54 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $3,191,667.89 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $3,192,757.99 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $3,171,135.56 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $2,923,355.89 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $2,862,074.07 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $2,960,046.58 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $3,093,660.36 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $3,084,918.07 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $2,956,656.54 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $3,387,270.63 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $3,911,137.60 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $3,920,661.59 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $3,975,097.79 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $3,997,502.36 | 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 |