According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,803.57% higher in 2025 versus 1939 (a $667,321.84 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 $37,000 in the year 1939 would cost $704,321.84 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 $37,000 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 | $37,000.00 | -2.19% |
| 1940 | $36,793.01 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $38,190.21 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $41,450.35 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $41,191.61 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $41,139.86 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $41,139.86 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $43,623.78 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $47,747.71 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $53,240.99 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $57,221.62 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $58,694.46 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $62,456.16 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $66,576.12 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $68,486.82 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $67,491.66 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $66,675.63 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $67,869.82 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $71,651.43 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $74,019.90 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $77,084.99 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $77,065.09 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $77,940.83 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $79,572.89 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $80,010.76 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $81,204.95 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $82,538.46 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $83,712.75 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $86,101.13 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $88,847.77 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $92,271.11 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $97,008.07 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $102,103.28 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $103,297.47 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $106,561.59 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $118,503.50 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $129,629.37 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $142,526.63 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $152,577.73 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $159,722.97 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $182,492.20 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $214,994.08 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $241,027.43 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $250,959.12 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $256,949.97 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $268,354.49 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $275,440.02 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $264,732.11 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $272,733.19 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $281,152.23 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $295,223.78 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $311,823.02 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $320,401.29 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $327,407.21 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $337,299.09 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $347,489.51 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $359,928.99 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $370,079.61 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $373,303.93 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $366,258.20 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $373,622.38 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $396,729.96 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $399,118.34 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $395,515.87 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $407,676.71 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $422,006.99 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $449,970.95 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $467,963.42 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $477,847.54 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $505,966.74 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $463,799.88 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $500,395.05 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $549,478.46 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $562,341.48 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $562,533.55 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $558,723.88 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $515,067.47 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $504,270.19 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $521,532.02 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $545,073.49 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $543,533.18 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $520,934.72 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $596,804.83 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $689,105.20 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $690,783.23 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $700,374.37 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $704,321.84 | 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 |