According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,814.28% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $348,342,109,704.64 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 $19,200,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $367,542,109,704.64 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 $19,200,000,000 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 | $19,200,000,000.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $19,929,113,924.05 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $21,630,379,746.84 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $21,495,358,649.79 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $21,468,354,430.38 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $21,468,354,430.38 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $22,764,556,962.03 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $24,916,585,524.18 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $27,783,187,276.86 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $29,860,434,923.73 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $30,629,016,553.07 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $32,592,015,579.36 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $34,741,966,893.87 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $35,739,045,764.36 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $35,219,733,852.65 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $34,793,898,085.04 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $35,417,072,379.10 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $37,390,457,643.62 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $38,626,419,993.51 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $40,225,900,681.60 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $40,215,514,443.36 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $40,672,508,925.67 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $41,524,180,460.89 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $41,752,677,702.04 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $42,375,851,996.11 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $43,071,729,957.81 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $43,684,518,013.63 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $44,930,866,601.75 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $46,364,167,478.09 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $48,150,600,454.40 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $50,622,525,154.17 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $53,281,402,142.16 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $53,904,576,436.22 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $55,607,919,506.65 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $61,839,662,447.26 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $67,645,569,620.25 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $74,375,851,996.11 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $79,620,902,304.45 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $83,349,561,830.57 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $95,231,418,370.66 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $112,192,145,407.34 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $125,777,345,017.85 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $130,960,077,896.79 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $134,086,335,605.32 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $140,037,650,113.60 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $143,735,150,925.02 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $138,147,354,754.95 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $142,322,622,525.15 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $146,716,001,298.28 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $154,059,071,729.96 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $162,721,194,417.40 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $167,197,663,096.40 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $170,853,618,954.88 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $176,015,579,357.35 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $181,333,333,333.33 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $187,824,732,229.80 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $193,121,713,729.31 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $194,804,284,323.27 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $191,127,555,988.32 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $194,970,464,135.02 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $207,028,886,725.09 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $208,275,235,313.21 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $206,395,326,192.79 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $212,741,317,753.98 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $220,219,409,282.70 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $234,812,074,001.95 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $244,201,233,365.79 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $249,359,143,135.35 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $264,032,820,512.82 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $242,028,536,189.55 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $261,125,296,981.50 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $286,738,902,953.59 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $293,451,320,999.68 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $293,551,548,198.64 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $291,563,518,338.20 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $268,781,927,945.47 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $263,147,497,565.73 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $272,155,378,123.99 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $284,440,220,707.56 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $283,636,429,730.61 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $271,843,687,114.57 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $311,435,611,814.35 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $359,601,480,038.95 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $360,477,143,784.49 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $365,482,168,127.23 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $367,542,109,704.64 | 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 |