According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,814.28% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $506,184,628,164.56 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 $27,900,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $534,084,628,164.56 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 $27,900,000,000 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 | $27,900,000,000.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $28,959,493,670.89 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $31,431,645,569.62 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $31,235,443,037.97 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $31,196,202,531.65 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $31,196,202,531.65 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $33,079,746,835.44 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $36,206,913,339.82 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $40,372,444,011.68 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $43,390,944,498.54 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $44,507,789,678.68 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $47,360,272,638.75 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $50,484,420,642.65 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $51,933,300,876.34 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $51,178,675,754.63 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $50,559,883,154.82 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $51,465,433,300.88 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $54,333,008,763.39 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $56,129,016,553.07 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $58,453,261,927.95 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $58,438,169,425.51 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $59,102,239,532.62 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $60,339,824,732.23 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $60,671,859,785.78 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $61,577,409,931.84 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $62,588,607,594.94 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $63,479,065,238.56 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $65,290,165,530.67 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $67,372,930,866.60 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $69,968,841,285.30 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $73,560,856,864.65 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $77,424,537,487.83 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $78,330,087,633.89 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $80,805,258,033.11 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $89,860,759,493.67 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $98,297,468,354.43 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $108,077,409,931.84 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $115,699,123,661.15 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $121,117,332,035.05 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $138,383,154,819.86 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $163,029,211,295.03 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $182,770,204,479.07 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $190,301,363,193.77 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $194,844,206,426.48 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $203,492,210,321.32 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $208,865,141,187.93 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $200,745,374,878.29 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $206,812,560,856.86 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $213,196,689,386.56 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $223,867,088,607.59 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $236,454,235,637.78 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $242,959,104,186.95 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $248,271,665,043.82 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $255,772,638,753.65 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $263,500,000,000.00 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $272,932,814,021.42 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $280,629,990,262.90 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $283,074,975,657.25 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $277,732,229,795.52 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $283,316,455,696.20 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $300,838,851,022.40 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $302,649,951,314.51 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $299,918,208,373.90 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $309,139,727,361.25 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $320,006,329,113.92 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $341,211,295,034.08 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $354,854,917,234.66 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $362,350,004,868.55 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $383,672,692,307.69 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $351,697,716,650.44 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $379,447,697,176.24 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $416,667,468,354.43 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $426,421,450,827.65 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $426,567,093,476.14 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $423,678,237,585.20 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $390,573,739,045.76 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $382,386,207,400.19 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $395,475,783,836.42 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $413,327,195,715.68 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $412,159,186,952.29 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $395,022,857,838.36 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $452,554,873,417.72 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $522,545,900,681.60 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $523,818,349,561.83 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $531,091,275,559.88 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $534,084,628,164.56 | 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 |