According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,814.28% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $317,499,318,741.21 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 $17,500,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $334,999,318,741.21 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 $17,500,000,000 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 | $17,500,000,000.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $18,164,556,962.03 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $19,715,189,873.42 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $19,592,123,769.34 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $19,567,510,548.52 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $19,567,510,548.52 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $20,748,945,147.68 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $22,710,429,514.23 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $25,323,217,570.05 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $27,216,542,248.19 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $27,917,072,379.10 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $29,706,264,199.94 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $31,665,855,241.80 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $32,574,651,087.31 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $32,101,319,917.78 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $31,713,188,358.76 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $32,281,185,762.20 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $34,079,844,206.43 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $35,206,372,389.92 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $36,664,232,392.08 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $36,654,765,768.69 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $37,071,297,197.88 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $37,847,560,315.91 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $38,055,826,030.51 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $38,623,823,433.95 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $39,258,087,201.13 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $39,816,617,981.17 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $40,952,612,788.06 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $42,259,006,815.97 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $43,887,266,039.16 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $46,140,322,406.15 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $48,563,777,994.16 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $49,131,775,397.60 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $50,684,301,633.67 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $56,364,275,668.07 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $61,656,118,143.46 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $67,790,490,100.62 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $72,571,134,912.91 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $75,969,652,710.16 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $86,799,469,869.09 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $102,258,465,866.06 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $114,640,809,261.06 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $119,364,654,333.01 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $122,214,107,973.60 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $127,638,483,176.46 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $131,008,601,103.54 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $125,915,557,719.36 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $129,721,140,322.41 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $133,725,522,016.66 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $140,418,424,753.87 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $148,313,588,661.69 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $152,393,703,343.07 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $155,725,954,776.59 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $160,430,866,601.75 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $165,277,777,777.78 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $171,194,417,396.95 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $176,022,395,326.19 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $177,555,988,315.48 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $174,204,803,635.18 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $177,707,454,289.73 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $188,698,204,046.31 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $189,834,198,853.19 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $188,120,740,019.47 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $193,904,846,911.18 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $200,720,815,752.46 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $214,021,421,616.36 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $222,579,249,161.53 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $227,280,469,003.57 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $240,654,914,529.91 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $220,598,926,214.43 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $238,004,827,977.93 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $261,350,562,587.90 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $267,468,651,952.83 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $267,560,004,868.55 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $265,747,998,485.34 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $244,983,528,075.30 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $239,847,979,552.09 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $248,058,287,352.59 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $259,255,409,499.08 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $258,522,787,514.88 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $247,774,193,984.64 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $283,860,583,684.95 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $327,761,765,660.50 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $328,559,896,678.57 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $333,121,767,824.30 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $334,999,318,741.21 | 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 |