According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,814.28% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $435,427,637,130.80 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 $24,000,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $459,427,637,130.80 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 $24,000,000,000 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 | $24,000,000,000.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $24,911,392,405.06 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $27,037,974,683.54 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $26,869,198,312.24 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $26,835,443,037.97 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $26,835,443,037.97 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $28,455,696,202.53 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $31,145,731,905.23 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $34,728,984,096.07 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $37,325,543,654.66 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $38,286,270,691.33 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $40,740,019,474.20 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $43,427,458,617.33 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $44,673,807,205.45 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $44,024,667,315.81 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $43,492,372,606.30 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $44,271,340,473.87 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $46,738,072,054.53 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $48,283,024,991.89 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $50,282,375,852.00 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $50,269,393,054.20 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $50,840,636,157.09 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $51,905,225,576.11 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $52,190,847,127.56 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $52,969,814,995.13 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $53,839,662,447.26 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $54,605,647,517.04 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $56,163,583,252.19 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $57,955,209,347.61 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $60,188,250,568.00 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $63,278,156,442.71 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $66,601,752,677.70 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $67,380,720,545.28 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $69,509,899,383.32 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $77,299,578,059.07 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $84,556,962,025.32 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $92,969,814,995.13 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $99,526,127,880.56 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $104,186,952,288.22 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $119,039,272,963.32 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $140,240,181,759.17 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $157,221,681,272.31 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $163,700,097,370.98 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $167,607,919,506.65 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $175,047,062,642.00 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $179,668,938,656.28 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $172,684,193,443.69 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $177,903,278,156.44 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $183,395,001,622.85 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $192,573,839,662.45 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $203,401,493,021.75 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $208,997,078,870.50 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $213,567,023,693.61 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $220,019,474,196.69 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $226,666,666,666.67 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $234,780,915,287.24 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $241,402,142,161.64 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $243,505,355,404.09 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $238,909,444,985.39 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $243,713,080,168.78 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $258,786,108,406.36 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $260,344,044,141.51 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $257,994,157,740.99 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $265,926,647,192.47 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $275,274,261,603.38 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $293,515,092,502.43 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $305,251,541,707.24 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $311,698,928,919.18 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $330,041,025,641.03 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $302,535,670,236.94 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $326,406,621,226.87 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $358,423,628,691.98 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $366,814,151,249.59 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $366,939,435,248.30 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $364,454,397,922.75 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $335,977,409,931.84 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $328,934,371,957.16 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $340,194,222,654.98 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $355,550,275,884.45 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $354,545,537,163.26 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $339,804,608,893.22 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $389,294,514,767.93 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $449,501,850,048.69 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $450,596,429,730.61 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $456,852,710,159.04 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $459,427,637,130.80 | 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 |