According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,814.28% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $308,427,909.63 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 $17,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $325,427,909.63 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 $17,000,000 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 | $17,000,000.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $17,645,569.62 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $19,151,898.73 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $19,032,348.80 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $19,008,438.82 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $19,008,438.82 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $20,156,118.14 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $22,061,560.10 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $24,599,697.07 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $26,438,926.76 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $27,119,441.74 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $28,857,513.79 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $30,761,116.52 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $31,643,946.77 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $31,184,139.35 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $30,807,097.26 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $31,358,866.17 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $33,106,134.37 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $34,200,476.04 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $35,616,682.90 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $35,607,486.75 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $36,012,117.28 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $36,766,201.45 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $36,968,516.72 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $37,520,285.62 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $38,136,427.57 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $38,679,000.32 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $39,782,538.14 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $41,051,606.62 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $42,633,344.15 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $44,822,027.48 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $47,176,241.48 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $47,728,010.39 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $49,236,178.73 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $54,753,867.79 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $59,894,514.77 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $65,853,618.95 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $70,497,673.92 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $73,799,091.20 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $84,319,485.02 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $99,336,795.41 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $111,365,357.57 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $115,954,235.64 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $118,722,276.32 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $123,991,669.37 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $127,265,498.21 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $122,317,970.36 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $126,014,822.03 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $129,904,792.82 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $136,406,469.76 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $144,076,057.56 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $148,039,597.53 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $151,276,641.78 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $155,847,127.56 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $160,555,555.56 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $166,303,148.33 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $170,993,184.03 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $172,482,960.08 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $169,227,523.53 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $172,630,098.45 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $183,306,826.79 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $184,410,364.60 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $182,745,861.73 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $188,364,708.43 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $194,985,935.30 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $207,906,523.86 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $216,219,842.04 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $220,786,741.32 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $233,779,059.83 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $214,296,099.75 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $231,204,690.04 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $253,883,403.66 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $259,826,690.47 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $259,915,433.30 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $258,155,198.53 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $237,983,998.70 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $232,995,180.14 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $240,970,907.71 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $251,848,112.08 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $251,136,422.16 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $240,694,931.30 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $275,750,281.29 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $318,397,143.78 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $319,172,471.06 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $323,604,003.03 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $325,427,909.63 | 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 |