According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,814.28% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $460,827,582,630.10 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 $25,400,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $486,227,582,630.10 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 $25,400,000,000 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 | $25,400,000,000.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $26,364,556,962.03 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $28,615,189,873.42 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $28,436,568,213.78 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $28,400,843,881.86 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $28,400,843,881.86 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $30,115,611,814.35 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $32,962,566,266.36 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $36,754,841,501.68 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $39,502,867,034.51 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $40,519,636,481.66 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $43,116,520,610.19 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $45,960,727,036.68 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $47,279,779,292.44 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $46,592,772,909.23 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $46,029,427,675.00 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $46,853,835,334.85 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $49,464,459,591.04 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $51,099,534,783.08 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $53,215,514,443.36 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $53,201,774,315.70 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $53,806,339,932.92 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $54,933,030,401.38 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $55,235,313,210.00 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $56,059,720,869.85 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $56,980,309,423.35 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $57,790,976,955.53 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $59,439,792,275.24 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $61,335,929,892.89 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $63,699,231,851.13 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $66,969,382,235.21 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $70,486,854,917.23 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $71,311,262,577.09 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $73,564,643,514.01 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $81,808,720,112.52 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $89,489,451,476.79 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $98,393,054,203.18 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $105,331,818,673.59 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $110,264,524,505.03 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $125,983,230,552.85 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $148,420,859,028.45 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $166,392,946,013.20 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $173,249,269,717.62 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $177,385,048,144.54 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $185,258,141,296.12 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $190,149,626,744.56 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $182,757,438,061.24 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $188,280,969,382.24 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $194,093,043,384.18 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $203,807,313,642.76 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $215,266,580,114.68 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $221,188,575,137.94 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $226,025,100,075.73 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $232,853,943,524.83 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $239,888,888,888.89 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $248,476,468,679.00 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $255,483,933,787.73 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $257,709,834,469.33 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $252,845,829,276.21 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $257,929,676,511.96 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $273,881,964,730.07 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $275,530,780,049.77 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $273,043,816,942.55 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $281,439,034,945.36 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $291,331,926,863.57 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $310,636,806,231.74 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $323,057,881,640.16 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $329,881,366,439.47 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $349,293,418,803.42 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $320,183,584,334.09 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $345,447,007,465.11 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $379,331,673,699.02 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $388,211,643,405.82 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $388,344,235,637.78 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $385,714,237,801.58 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $355,576,092,177.86 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $348,122,210,321.32 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $360,038,885,643.19 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $376,290,708,644.38 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $375,227,360,164.45 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $359,626,544,411.99 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $412,003,361,462.73 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $475,722,791,301.53 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $476,881,221,464.89 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $483,502,451,584.98 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $486,227,582,630.10 | 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 |