According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,814.28% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $480,784,682,665.26 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 $26,500,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $507,284,682,665.26 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 $26,500,000,000 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 | $26,500,000,000.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $27,506,329,113.92 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $29,854,430,379.75 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $29,668,073,136.43 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $29,630,801,687.76 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $29,630,801,687.76 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $31,419,831,223.63 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $34,390,078,978.69 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $38,346,586,606.08 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $41,213,621,118.68 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $42,274,423,888.35 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $44,983,771,502.76 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $47,951,152,223.30 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $49,327,328,789.35 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $48,610,570,161.20 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $48,022,828,086.12 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $48,882,938,439.90 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $51,606,621,226.87 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $53,312,506,761.87 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $55,520,123,336.58 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $55,505,788,164.02 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $56,136,535,756.79 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $57,312,019,906.96 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $57,627,393,703.34 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $58,487,504,057.12 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $59,447,960,618.85 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $60,293,735,800.06 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $62,013,956,507.63 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $63,992,210,321.32 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $66,457,860,002.16 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $69,869,631,072.16 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $73,539,435,248.30 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $74,399,545,602.08 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $76,750,513,902.41 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $85,351,617,440.23 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $93,364,978,902.95 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $102,654,170,723.79 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $109,893,432,868.12 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $115,039,759,818.24 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $131,439,197,230.34 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $154,848,534,025.75 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $173,598,939,738.18 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $180,752,190,847.13 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $185,067,077,788.60 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $193,281,131,667.21 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $198,384,453,099.64 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $190,672,130,260.74 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $196,434,869,631.07 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $202,498,647,625.23 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $212,633,614,627.29 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $224,589,148,544.84 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $230,767,607,919.51 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $235,813,588,661.69 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $242,938,169,425.51 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $250,277,777,777.78 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $259,237,260,629.67 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $266,548,198,636.81 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $268,870,496,592.02 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $263,795,845,504.71 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $269,099,859,353.02 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $285,742,994,698.69 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $287,463,215,406.25 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $284,868,549,172.35 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $293,627,339,608.35 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $303,948,663,853.73 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $324,089,581,304.77 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $337,048,577,301.74 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $344,167,567,348.26 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $364,420,299,145.30 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $334,049,802,553.28 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $360,407,310,938.01 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $395,759,423,347.40 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $405,023,958,671.43 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $405,162,293,086.66 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $402,418,397,706.37 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $370,975,056,799.74 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $363,198,369,036.03 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $375,631,120,848.21 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $392,586,762,955.75 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $391,477,363,951.10 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $375,200,922,319.59 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $429,846,026,722.93 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $496,324,959,428.76 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $497,533,557,827.55 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $504,441,534,133.94 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $507,284,682,665.26 | 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 |