According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,814.28% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $332,013,573.31 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 $18,300,000 in the year 1940 would cost $350,313,573.31 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 $18,300,000 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 | $18,300,000.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $18,994,936.71 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $20,616,455.70 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $20,487,763.71 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $20,462,025.32 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $20,462,025.32 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $21,697,468.35 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $23,748,620.58 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $26,480,850.37 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $28,460,727.04 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $29,193,281.40 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $31,064,264.85 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $33,113,437.20 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $34,063,777.99 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $33,568,808.83 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $33,162,934.11 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $33,756,897.11 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $35,637,779.94 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $36,815,806.56 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $38,340,311.59 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $38,330,412.20 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $38,765,985.07 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $39,577,734.50 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $39,795,520.93 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $40,389,483.93 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $41,052,742.62 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $41,636,806.23 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $42,824,732.23 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $44,190,847.13 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $45,893,541.06 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $48,249,594.29 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $50,783,836.42 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $51,377,799.42 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $53,001,298.28 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $58,940,928.27 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $64,474,683.54 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $70,889,483.93 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $75,888,672.51 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $79,442,551.12 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $90,767,445.63 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $106,933,138.59 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $119,881,531.97 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $124,821,324.25 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $127,801,038.62 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $133,473,385.26 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $136,997,565.73 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $131,671,697.50 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $135,651,249.59 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $139,838,688.74 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $146,837,552.74 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $155,093,638.43 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $159,360,272.64 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $162,844,855.57 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $167,764,849.07 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $172,833,333.33 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $179,020,447.91 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $184,069,133.40 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $185,672,833.50 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $182,168,451.80 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $185,831,223.63 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $197,324,407.66 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $198,512,333.66 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $196,720,545.28 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $202,769,068.48 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $209,896,624.47 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $223,805,258.03 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $232,754,300.55 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $237,670,433.30 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $251,656,282.05 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $230,683,448.56 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $248,885,048.69 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $273,298,016.88 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $279,695,790.33 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $279,791,319.38 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $277,896,478.42 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $256,182,775.07 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $250,812,458.62 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $259,398,094.77 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $271,107,085.36 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $270,340,972.09 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $259,101,014.28 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $296,837,067.51 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $342,745,160.66 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $343,579,777.67 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $348,350,191.50 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $350,313,573.31 | 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 |