According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,814.28% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $335,642,136.95 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 $18,500,000 in the year 1940 would cost $354,142,136.95 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 $18,500,000 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 | $18,500,000.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $19,202,531.65 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $20,841,772.15 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $20,711,673.70 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $20,685,654.01 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $20,685,654.01 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $21,934,599.16 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $24,008,168.34 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $26,770,258.57 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $28,771,773.23 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $29,512,333.66 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $31,403,765.01 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $33,475,332.68 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $34,436,059.72 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $33,935,681.06 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $33,525,370.55 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $34,125,824.95 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $36,027,263.88 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $37,218,165.10 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $38,759,331.39 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $38,749,323.81 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $39,189,657.04 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $40,010,278.05 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $40,230,444.66 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $40,830,899.06 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $41,501,406.47 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $42,091,853.29 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $43,292,762.09 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $44,673,807.21 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $46,395,109.81 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $48,776,912.26 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $51,338,851.02 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $51,939,305.42 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $53,580,547.44 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $59,585,091.42 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $65,179,324.89 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $71,664,232.39 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $76,718,056.91 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $80,310,775.72 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $91,759,439.58 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $108,101,806.77 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $121,191,712.65 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $126,185,491.72 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $129,197,771.29 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $134,932,110.79 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $138,494,806.88 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $133,110,732.45 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $137,133,776.91 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $141,366,980.42 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $148,442,334.74 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $156,788,650.87 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $161,101,914.96 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $164,624,580.76 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $169,598,344.69 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $174,722,222.22 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $180,976,955.53 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $186,080,817.92 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $187,702,044.79 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $184,159,363.84 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $187,862,165.96 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $199,480,958.56 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $200,681,867.36 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $198,870,496.59 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $204,985,123.88 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $212,190,576.65 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $226,251,217.14 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $235,298,063.40 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $240,267,924.38 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $254,406,623.93 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $233,204,579.14 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $251,605,103.86 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $276,284,880.45 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $282,752,574.92 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $282,849,148.00 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $280,933,598.40 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $258,982,586.82 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $253,553,578.38 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $262,233,046.63 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $274,070,004.33 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $273,295,518.23 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $261,932,719.36 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $300,081,188.47 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $346,491,009.41 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $347,334,747.92 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $352,157,297.41 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $354,142,136.95 | 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 |