According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,854.85% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $3,876,641,458,699.47 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2026:Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.52% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $209,000,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $4,085,641,458,699.47 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.74% 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 $209,000,000,000 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 | $209,000,000,000.00 | -0.64% |
| 1941 | $214,387,229,056.82 | 2.58% |
| 1942 | $233,977,152,899.82 | 9.14% |
| 1943 | $234,222,026,947.86 | 0.10% |
| 1944 | $233,609,841,827.77 | -0.26% |
| 1945 | $233,609,841,827.77 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $243,404,803,749.27 | 4.19% |
| 1947 | $271,075,571,177.50 | 11.37% |
| 1948 | $302,297,012,302.28 | 11.52% |
| 1949 | $324,947,861,745.75 | 7.49% |
| 1950 | $333,273,579,379.03 | 2.56% |
| 1951 | $354,700,058,582.31 | 6.43% |
| 1952 | $378,085,530,169.89 | 6.59% |
| 1953 | $388,859,988,283.54 | 2.85% |
| 1954 | $383,227,885,178.68 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $378,575,278,265.96 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $385,431,751,611.01 | 1.81% |
| 1957 | $406,858,230,814.29 | 5.56% |
| 1958 | $420,326,303,456.36 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $437,712,360,867.02 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $437,589,923,843.00 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $442,609,841,827.77 | 1.15% |
| 1962 | $451,792,618,629.17 | 2.07% |
| 1963 | $454,363,796,133.57 | 0.57% |
| 1964 | $461,097,832,454.60 | 1.48% |
| 1965 | $468,688,927,943.76 | 1.65% |
| 1966 | $475,422,964,264.79 | 1.44% |
| 1967 | $488,891,036,906.85 | 2.83% |
| 1968 | $504,562,975,981.25 | 3.21% |
| 1969 | $523,908,025,776.22 | 3.83% |
| 1970 | $550,844,171,060.34 | 5.14% |
| 1971 | $579,739,308,728.76 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $586,595,782,073.81 | 1.18% |
| 1973 | $605,083,772,700.64 | 3.15% |
| 1974 | $672,913,884,007.03 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $736,091,388,400.70 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $809,308,728,763.91 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $866,364,381,956.65 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $907,013,473,930.87 | 4.69% |
| 1979 | $1,036,306,971,294.67 | 14.25% |
| 1980 | $1,220,819,566,490.92 | 17.80% |
| 1981 | $1,368,601,054,481.55 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $1,425,044,522,554.19 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $1,459,082,015,231.40 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $1,523,851,200,937.32 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $1,564,132,981,839.48 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $1,503,281,780,902.17 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $1,548,705,916,813.12 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $1,596,456,356,180.43 | 3.08% |
| 1989 | $1,676,407,732,864.67 | 5.01% |
| 1990 | $1,770,684,241,359.11 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $1,819,414,176,918.57 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $1,859,206,209,724.66 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $1,915,282,366,725.25 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $1,973,195,079,086.12 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $2,043,841,241,944.93 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $2,101,509,080,257.76 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $2,119,752,196,836.56 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $2,079,715,289,982.43 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $2,121,588,752,196.84 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $2,252,841,241,944.93 | 6.19% |
| 2001 | $2,266,309,314,586.99 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $2,245,862,331,575.86 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $2,314,916,813,122.44 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $2,396,337,434,094.90 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $2,555,138,254,247.22 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $2,657,250,732,278.85 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $2,713,423,614,528.41 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $2,873,097,410,661.98 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $2,633,655,893,380.20 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $2,841,458,459,285.30 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $3,120,175,325,131.81 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $3,193,217,580,550.67 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $3,194,307,270,064.44 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $3,172,675,096,660.81 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $2,924,774,405,389.57 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $2,863,462,841,241.95 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $2,961,483,473,930.87 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $3,095,161,441,124.78 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $3,086,415,764,499.12 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $2,958,091,968,365.55 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $3,388,914,797,891.04 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $3,913,035,864,089.05 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $3,922,565,137,668.42 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $3,977,027,574,692.44 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $4,000,671,388,400.70 | 0.59% |
| 2026 | $4,085,641,458,699.47 | 2.12%* |
* 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 | 278.078 |