According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,787.97% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $2,234,964,850,615.11 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2026:Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.48% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $125,000,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $2,359,964,850,615.11 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.73% during this same period, inflation for transportation was lower.
In the year 1940: Pricing changed by -0.64%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for transportation during the 1940-2026 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 $125,000,000,000 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 | $125,000,000,000.00 | -0.64% |
| 1941 | $128,222,026,947.86 | 2.58% |
| 1942 | $139,938,488,576.45 | 9.14% |
| 1943 | $140,084,944,346.81 | 0.10% |
| 1944 | $139,718,804,920.91 | -0.26% |
| 1945 | $139,718,804,920.91 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $145,577,035,735.21 | 4.19% |
| 1947 | $162,126,537,785.59 | 11.37% |
| 1948 | $180,799,648,506.15 | 11.52% |
| 1949 | $194,346,807,264.21 | 7.49% |
| 1950 | $199,326,303,456.36 | 2.56% |
| 1951 | $212,141,183,362.62 | 6.43% |
| 1952 | $226,127,709,431.75 | 6.59% |
| 1953 | $232,571,763,327.48 | 2.85% |
| 1954 | $229,203,280,609.26 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $226,420,620,972.47 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $230,521,382,542.47 | 1.81% |
| 1957 | $243,336,262,448.74 | 5.56% |
| 1958 | $251,391,329,818.39 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $261,789,689,513.77 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $261,716,461,628.59 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $264,718,804,920.91 | 1.15% |
| 1962 | $270,210,896,309.31 | 2.07% |
| 1963 | $271,748,681,898.07 | 0.57% |
| 1964 | $275,776,215,582.89 | 1.48% |
| 1965 | $280,316,344,463.97 | 1.65% |
| 1966 | $284,343,878,148.80 | 1.44% |
| 1967 | $292,398,945,518.45 | 2.83% |
| 1968 | $301,772,114,821.32 | 3.21% |
| 1969 | $313,342,120,679.55 | 3.83% |
| 1970 | $329,452,255,418.86 | 5.14% |
| 1971 | $346,734,036,321.03 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $350,834,797,891.04 | 1.18% |
| 1973 | $361,892,208,553.02 | 3.15% |
| 1974 | $402,460,456,942.00 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $440,246,045,694.20 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $484,036,321,031.05 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $518,160,515,524.31 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $542,472,173,403.63 | 4.69% |
| 1979 | $619,800,820,152.31 | 14.25% |
| 1980 | $730,155,243,116.58 | 17.80% |
| 1981 | $818,541,300,527.24 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $852,299,355,594.61 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $872,656,707,674.28 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $911,394,258,933.80 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $935,486,233,157.59 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $899,091,974,223.78 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $926,259,519,625.07 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $954,818,394,844.76 | 3.08% |
| 1989 | $1,002,636,203,866.43 | 5.01% |
| 1990 | $1,059,021,675,454.01 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $1,088,166,373,755.13 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $1,111,965,436,438.20 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $1,145,503,807,850.03 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $1,180,140,597,539.54 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $1,222,393,087,287.64 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $1,256,883,421,206.80 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $1,267,794,376,098.42 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $1,243,848,857,644.99 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $1,268,892,794,376.10 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $1,347,393,087,287.64 | 6.19% |
| 2001 | $1,355,448,154,657.29 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $1,343,219,097,832.45 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $1,384,519,625,073.23 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $1,433,216,168,717.05 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $1,528,192,735,793.79 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $1,589,264,792,032.81 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $1,622,861,013,473.93 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $1,718,359,695,372.00 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $1,575,153,046,280.02 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $1,699,436,877,562.98 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $1,866,133,567,662.57 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $1,909,819,127,123.61 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $1,910,470,855,301.70 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $1,897,532,952,548.33 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $1,749,266,988,869.36 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $1,712,597,393,087.29 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $1,771,222,173,403.63 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $1,851,173,110,720.56 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $1,845,942,442,882.25 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $1,769,193,760,984.18 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $2,026,862,917,398.95 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $2,340,332,454,598.71 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $2,346,031,780,902.17 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $2,378,605,008,787.35 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $2,392,746,045,694.20 | 0.59% |
| 2026 | $2,359,964,850,615.11 | -1.37%* |
* 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 | 2026 |
| CPI | 14.200 | 14.250 | 14.508 | 14.675 | 14.317 | 14.225 | 14.592 | 15.925 | 15.942 | 15.900 | 15.900 | 16.567 | 18.450 | 20.575 | 22.117 | 22.683 | 24.142 | 25.733 | 26.467 | 26.083 | 25.767 | 26.233 | 27.692 | 28.608 | 29.792 | 29.783 | 30.125 | 30.750 | 30.925 | 31.383 | 31.900 | 32.358 | 33.275 | 34.342 | 35.658 | 37.492 | 39.458 | 39.925 | 41.183 | 45.800 | 50.100 | 55.083 | 58.967 | 61.733 | 70.533 | 83.092 | 93.150 | 96.992 | 99.308 | 103.717 | 106.458 | 102.317 | 105.408 | 108.658 | 114.100 | 120.517 | 123.833 | 126.542 | 130.358 | 134.300 | 139.108 | 143.033 | 144.275 | 141.550 | 144.400 | 153.333 | 154.250 | 152.858 | 157.558 | 163.100 | 173.908 | 180.858 | 184.682 | 195.549 | 179.252 | 193.396 | 212.366 | 217.337 | 217.412 | 215.939 | 199.067 | 194.894 | 201.565 | 210.663 | 210.068 | 201.334 | 230.657 | 266.330 | 266.978 | 270.685 | 272.295 | 268.564 |