According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,814.28% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $201,385,282,173 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2025: Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.53% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $11,100,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $212,485,282,173 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.75% during this same period, inflation for transportation was lower.
In the year 1940: Pricing changed by -0.56%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for transportation during the 1940-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1940 (0.72%), inflation for transportation was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Transportation, over time, for $11,100,000,000 beginning in 1940. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | $11,100,000,000.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $11,521,518,987.34 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $12,505,063,291.14 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $12,427,004,219.41 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $12,411,392,405.06 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $12,411,392,405.06 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $13,160,759,493.67 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $14,404,901,006.17 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $16,062,155,144.43 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $17,263,063,940.28 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $17,707,400,194.74 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $18,842,259,006.82 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $20,085,199,610.52 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $20,661,635,832.52 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $20,361,408,633.56 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $20,115,222,330.41 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $20,475,494,969.17 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $21,616,358,325.22 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $22,330,899,058.75 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $23,255,598,831.55 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $23,249,594,287.57 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $23,513,794,222.65 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $24,006,166,828.95 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $24,138,266,796.49 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $24,498,539,435.25 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $24,900,843,881.86 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $25,255,111,976.63 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $25,975,657,254.14 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $26,804,284,323.27 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $27,837,065,887.70 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $29,266,147,354.75 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $30,803,310,613.44 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $31,163,583,252.19 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $32,148,328,464.78 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $35,751,054,852.32 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $39,107,594,936.71 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $42,998,539,435.25 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $46,030,834,144.76 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $48,186,465,433.30 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $55,055,663,745.54 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $64,861,084,063.62 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $72,715,027,588.45 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $75,711,295,034.08 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $77,518,662,771.83 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $80,959,266,471.92 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $83,096,884,128.53 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $79,866,439,467.71 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $82,280,266,147.35 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $84,820,188,250.57 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $89,065,400,843.88 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $94,073,190,522.56 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $96,661,148,977.60 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $98,774,748,458.29 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $101,759,006,815.97 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $104,833,333,333.33 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $108,586,173,320.35 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $111,648,490,749.76 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $112,621,226,874.39 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $110,495,618,305.74 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $112,717,299,578.06 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $119,688,575,137.94 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $120,409,120,415.45 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $119,322,297,955.21 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $122,991,074,326.52 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $127,314,345,991.56 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $135,750,730,282.38 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $141,178,838,039.60 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $144,160,754,625.12 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $152,643,974,358.97 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $139,922,747,484.58 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $150,963,062,317.43 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $165,770,928,270.04 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $169,651,544,952.94 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $169,709,488,802.34 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $168,560,159,039.27 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $155,389,552,093.48 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $152,132,147,030.19 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $157,339,827,977.93 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $164,442,002,596.56 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $163,977,310,938.01 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $157,159,631,613.11 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $180,048,713,080.17 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $207,894,605,647.52 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $208,400,848,750.41 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $211,294,378,448.56 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $212,485,282,173.00 | 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 |