According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,803.57% higher in 2025 versus 1939 (a $432,857.41 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 $24,000 in the year 1939 would cost $456,857.41 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 $24,000 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 | $24,000.00 | -2.19% |
| 1940 | $23,865.73 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $24,772.03 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $26,886.71 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $26,718.88 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $26,685.31 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $26,685.31 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $28,296.50 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $30,971.49 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $34,534.70 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $37,116.73 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $38,072.08 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $40,512.10 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $43,184.51 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $44,423.88 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $43,778.38 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $43,249.06 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $44,023.67 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $46,476.60 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $48,012.91 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $50,001.08 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $49,988.17 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $50,556.21 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $51,614.85 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $51,898.87 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $52,673.48 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $53,538.46 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $54,300.16 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $55,849.38 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $57,630.98 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $59,851.53 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $62,924.15 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $66,229.16 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $67,003.77 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $69,121.03 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $76,867.13 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $84,083.92 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $92,449.70 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $98,969.34 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $103,604.09 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $118,373.32 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $139,455.62 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $156,342.12 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $162,784.29 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $166,670.25 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $174,067.78 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $178,663.80 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $171,718.13 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $176,908.02 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $182,369.02 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $191,496.50 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $202,263.58 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $207,827.86 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $212,372.24 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $218,788.60 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $225,398.60 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $233,467.46 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $240,051.64 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $242,143.09 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $237,572.89 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $242,349.65 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $257,338.35 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $258,887.57 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $256,550.83 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $264,438.95 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $273,734.27 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $291,873.05 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $303,543.84 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $309,955.16 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $328,194.64 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $300,843.16 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $324,580.57 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $356,418.46 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $364,762.04 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $364,886.63 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $362,415.49 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $334,097.82 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $327,094.18 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $338,291.04 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $353,561.18 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $352,562.07 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $337,903.60 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $387,116.64 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $446,987.15 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $448,075.61 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $454,296.89 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $456,857.41 | 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 |