According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,787.97% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $33,248,695,264,540.10 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2026:Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.48% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $1,859,575,960,187.32 in the year 1940 would cost $35,108,271,224,727.42 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.73% during this same period, inflation for transportation was lower.
In the year 1940: Pricing changed by -0.64%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for transportation during the 1940-2026 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 $1,859,575,960,187.32 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 | $1,859,575,960,187.32 | -0.64% |
| 1941 | $1,907,508,791,029.88 | 2.58% |
| 1942 | $2,081,809,994,093.71 | 9.14% |
| 1943 | $2,083,988,759,132.01 | 0.10% |
| 1944 | $2,078,541,846,536.27 | -0.26% |
| 1945 | $2,078,541,846,536.27 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $2,165,692,448,068.19 | 4.19% |
| 1947 | $2,411,892,897,395.86 | 11.37% |
| 1948 | $2,689,685,439,778.85 | 11.52% |
| 1949 | $2,891,221,205,821.41 | 7.49% |
| 1950 | $2,965,299,217,123.54 | 2.56% |
| 1951 | $3,155,941,157,974.61 | 6.43% |
| 1952 | $3,364,013,219,132.07 | 6.59% |
| 1953 | $3,459,878,880,817.18 | 2.85% |
| 1954 | $3,409,767,284,936.33 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $3,368,370,749,208.67 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $3,429,376,170,281.01 | 1.81% |
| 1957 | $3,620,018,111,132.08 | 5.56% |
| 1958 | $3,739,850,188,238.47 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $3,894,542,505,957.63 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $3,893,453,123,438.48 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $3,938,117,806,723.59 | 1.15% |
| 1962 | $4,019,821,495,659.76 | 2.07% |
| 1963 | $4,042,698,528,561.89 | 0.57% |
| 1964 | $4,102,614,567,115.08 | 1.48% |
| 1965 | $4,170,156,283,302.32 | 1.65% |
| 1966 | $4,230,072,321,855.52 | 1.44% |
| 1967 | $4,349,904,398,961.90 | 2.83% |
| 1968 | $4,489,345,361,412.97 | 3.21% |
| 1969 | $4,661,467,799,438.51 | 3.83% |
| 1970 | $4,901,131,953,651.29 | 5.14% |
| 1971 | $5,158,226,228,170.45 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $5,219,231,649,242.80 | 1.18% |
| 1973 | $5,383,728,409,634.29 | 3.15% |
| 1974 | $5,987,246,325,242.83 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $6,549,367,705,123.71 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $7,200,818,451,574.80 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $7,708,470,705,498.23 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $8,070,145,701,855.69 | 4.69% |
| 1979 | $9,220,533,642,077.02 | 14.25% |
| 1980 | $10,862,233,098,434.55 | 17.80% |
| 1981 | $12,177,117,799,047.37 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $12,679,323,140,375.06 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $12,982,171,480,698.47 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $13,558,454,833,328.29 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $13,916,861,682,128.30 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $13,375,438,570,111.26 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $13,779,599,484,715.53 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $14,204,458,667,183.64 | 3.08% |
| 1989 | $14,915,825,452,187.93 | 5.01% |
| 1990 | $15,754,649,991,932.64 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $16,188,224,234,553.94 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $16,542,273,553,277.36 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $17,041,210,747,047.60 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $17,556,488,678,605.07 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $18,185,062,392,154.03 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $18,698,161,558,673.21 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $18,860,479,554,026.41 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $18,504,251,470,264.69 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $18,876,820,291,813.64 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $20,044,638,352,341.36 | 6.19% |
| 2001 | $20,164,470,429,447.74 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $19,982,543,548,749.86 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $20,596,955,289,549.89 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $21,321,394,664,783.97 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $22,734,323,792,120.21 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $23,642,868,813,090.46 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $24,142,666,619,050.82 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $25,563,363,043,748.59 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $23,432,933,907,825.26 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $25,281,855,706,975.30 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $27,761,736,967,391.24 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $28,411,629,896,839.96 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $28,421,325,401,260.38 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $28,228,853,297,777.14 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $26,023,158,723,605.80 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $25,477,639,533,316.76 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $26,349,777,390,497.05 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $27,539,176,118,729.11 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $27,461,361,525,386.30 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $26,319,601,494,716.62 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $30,152,844,446,321.74 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $34,816,207,771,343.57 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $34,900,994,412,808.94 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $35,385,573,544,976.78 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $35,595,944,203,249.65 | 0.59% |
| 2026 | $35,108,271,224,727.42 | -1.37%* |
* 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 | 2026 |
| CPI | 14.200 | 14.250 | 14.508 | 14.675 | 14.317 | 14.225 | 14.592 | 15.925 | 15.942 | 15.900 | 15.900 | 16.567 | 18.450 | 20.575 | 22.117 | 22.683 | 24.142 | 25.733 | 26.467 | 26.083 | 25.767 | 26.233 | 27.692 | 28.608 | 29.792 | 29.783 | 30.125 | 30.750 | 30.925 | 31.383 | 31.900 | 32.358 | 33.275 | 34.342 | 35.658 | 37.492 | 39.458 | 39.925 | 41.183 | 45.800 | 50.100 | 55.083 | 58.967 | 61.733 | 70.533 | 83.092 | 93.150 | 96.992 | 99.308 | 103.717 | 106.458 | 102.317 | 105.408 | 108.658 | 114.100 | 120.517 | 123.833 | 126.542 | 130.358 | 134.300 | 139.108 | 143.033 | 144.275 | 141.550 | 144.400 | 153.333 | 154.250 | 152.858 | 157.558 | 163.100 | 173.908 | 180.858 | 184.682 | 195.549 | 179.252 | 193.396 | 212.366 | 217.337 | 217.412 | 215.939 | 199.067 | 194.894 | 201.565 | 210.663 | 210.068 | 201.334 | 230.657 | 266.330 | 266.978 | 270.685 | 272.295 | 268.564 |