According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,816.45% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $48,317,567,662,565.91 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2026:Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.49% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $2,660,000,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $50,977,567,662,565.91 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.72% 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 $2,660,000,000,000 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 | $2,660,000,000,000.00 | -0.64% |
| 1941 | $2,728,564,733,450.50 | 2.58% |
| 1942 | $2,977,891,036,906.85 | 9.14% |
| 1943 | $2,981,007,615,700.06 | 0.10% |
| 1944 | $2,973,216,168,717.05 | -0.26% |
| 1945 | $2,973,216,168,717.05 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $3,097,879,320,445.23 | 4.19% |
| 1947 | $3,450,052,724,077.33 | 11.37% |
| 1948 | $3,847,416,520,210.90 | 11.52% |
| 1949 | $4,135,700,058,582.31 | 7.49% |
| 1950 | $4,241,663,737,551.26 | 2.56% |
| 1951 | $4,514,364,381,956.65 | 6.43% |
| 1952 | $4,811,997,656,707.68 | 6.59% |
| 1953 | $4,949,127,123,608.67 | 2.85% |
| 1954 | $4,877,445,811,364.97 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $4,818,230,814,294.08 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $4,905,495,020,503.81 | 1.81% |
| 1957 | $5,178,195,664,909.20 | 5.56% |
| 1958 | $5,349,607,498,535.44 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $5,570,884,592,852.96 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $5,569,326,303,456.36 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $5,633,216,168,717.05 | 1.15% |
| 1962 | $5,750,087,873,462.22 | 2.07% |
| 1963 | $5,782,811,950,790.86 | 0.57% |
| 1964 | $5,868,517,867,603.98 | 1.48% |
| 1965 | $5,965,131,810,193.32 | 1.65% |
| 1966 | $6,050,837,727,006.44 | 1.44% |
| 1967 | $6,222,249,560,632.69 | 2.83% |
| 1968 | $6,421,710,603,397.77 | 3.21% |
| 1969 | $6,667,920,328,060.93 | 3.83% |
| 1970 | $7,010,743,995,313.42 | 5.14% |
| 1971 | $7,378,500,292,911.54 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $7,465,764,499,121.27 | 1.18% |
| 1973 | $7,701,066,198,008.20 | 3.15% |
| 1974 | $8,564,358,523,725.84 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $9,368,435,852,372.58 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $10,300,292,911,540.72 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $11,026,455,770,357.35 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $11,543,807,850,029.29 | 4.69% |
| 1979 | $13,189,361,452,841.24 | 14.25% |
| 1980 | $15,537,703,573,520.80 | 17.80% |
| 1981 | $17,418,558,875,219.68 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $18,136,930,287,053.31 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $18,570,134,739,308.73 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $19,394,469,830,111.31 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $19,907,147,041,593.44 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $19,132,677,211,482.13 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $19,710,802,577,621.56 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $20,318,535,442,296.43 | 3.08% |
| 1989 | $21,336,098,418,277.68 | 5.01% |
| 1990 | $22,535,981,253,661.40 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $23,156,180,433,509.08 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $23,662,624,487,404.81 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $24,376,321,031,048.62 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $25,113,391,915,641.48 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $26,012,524,897,480.96 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $26,746,479,203,280.62 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $26,978,664,323,374.34 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $26,469,103,690,685.41 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $27,002,038,664,323.38 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $28,672,524,897,480.97 | 6.19% |
| 2001 | $28,843,936,731,107.21 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $28,583,702,401,874.64 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $29,462,577,621,558.30 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $30,498,840,070,298.77 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $32,519,941,417,691.86 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $33,819,554,774,458.12 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $34,534,482,366,725.25 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $36,566,694,317,516.11 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $33,519,256,824,838.90 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $36,164,016,754,540.13 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $39,711,322,319,859.41 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $40,640,951,025,190.39 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $40,654,819,800,820.15 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $40,379,501,230,228.47 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $37,224,401,523,140.02 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $36,444,072,524,897.49 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $37,691,607,850,029.29 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $39,392,963,796,133.57 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $39,281,655,184,534.27 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $37,648,443,233,743.42 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $43,131,642,882,249.56 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $49,802,274,633,860.57 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $49,923,556,297,598.12 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $50,616,714,586,994.73 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $50,979,930,595,941.84 | 0.72% |
| 2026 | $50,977,567,662,565.91 | 0.00%* |
* 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 | 272.628 | 272.615 |