According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,814.28% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $2,721,422,732,067.51 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 $150,000,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $2,871,422,732,067.51 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 $150,000,000,000 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 | $150,000,000,000.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $155,696,202,531.65 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $168,987,341,772.15 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $167,932,489,451.48 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $167,721,518,987.34 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $167,721,518,987.34 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $177,848,101,265.82 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $194,660,824,407.66 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $217,056,150,600.45 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $233,284,647,841.61 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $239,289,191,820.84 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $254,625,121,713.73 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $271,421,616,358.33 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $279,211,295,034.08 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $275,154,170,723.79 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $271,827,328,789.35 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $276,695,877,961.70 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $292,112,950,340.80 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $301,768,906,199.29 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $314,264,849,074.98 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $314,183,706,588.77 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $317,753,975,981.82 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $324,407,659,850.70 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $326,192,794,547.22 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $331,061,343,719.57 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $336,497,890,295.36 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $341,285,296,981.50 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $351,022,395,326.19 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $362,220,058,422.59 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $376,176,566,049.98 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $395,488,477,766.96 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $416,260,954,235.64 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $421,129,503,407.98 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $434,436,871,145.73 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $483,122,362,869.20 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $528,481,012,658.23 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $581,061,343,719.57 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $622,038,299,253.49 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $651,168,451,801.36 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $743,995,456,020.77 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $876,501,135,994.81 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $982,635,507,951.96 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $1,023,125,608,568.65 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $1,047,549,496,916.59 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $1,094,044,141,512.50 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $1,122,930,866,601.75 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $1,079,276,209,023.04 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $1,111,895,488,477.77 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $1,146,218,760,142.81 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $1,203,586,497,890.30 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $1,271,259,331,385.91 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $1,306,231,742,940.60 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $1,334,793,898,085.04 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $1,375,121,713,729.31 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $1,416,666,666,666.67 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $1,467,380,720,545.28 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $1,508,763,388,510.22 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $1,521,908,471,275.56 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $1,493,184,031,158.72 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $1,523,206,751,054.85 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $1,617,413,177,539.76 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $1,627,150,275,884.45 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $1,612,463,485,881.21 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $1,662,041,544,952.94 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $1,720,464,135,021.10 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $1,834,469,328,140.21 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $1,907,822,135,670.24 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $1,948,118,305,744.89 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $2,062,756,410,256.41 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $1,890,847,938,980.85 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $2,040,041,382,667.97 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $2,240,147,679,324.89 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $2,292,588,445,309.96 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $2,293,371,470,301.85 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $2,277,839,987,017.20 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $2,099,858,812,074.00 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $2,055,839,824,732.23 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $2,126,213,891,593.64 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $2,222,189,224,277.83 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $2,215,909,607,270.37 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $2,123,778,805,582.60 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $2,433,090,717,299.58 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $2,809,386,562,804.29 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $2,816,227,685,816.29 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $2,855,329,438,494.00 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $2,871,422,732,067.51 | 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 |